GIFT OF ^G fij , COPYRIGHT, IQ20, BY /j | HARCOURT, BRACE AND HOWE CONTENTS PAGE EDITOR S INTRODUCTION iii MELVILLE S PREFACE 3 I. A LAND-SICK SHIP ; 5 II. THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA 10 IV. RESOLVE TO ESCAPE * 20 V. TOBY S RESOLVE 34 VI. ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS 40 VII. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 50 VIII. JOURNEY TOWARD THE VALLEY 63 IX. FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO THE RAVINE 74 X. TYPEE OF HAPPAR? 85 XI. MORNING VISITORS 99 XII. TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 117 XIII. PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY 130 XIV. SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 140 XV. BREAD-FRUIT 153 XVI. AT THE Ti 159 XVII. SKIRMITH WITH THE HAPPARS 166 XVIII. MARNOO APPEARS 176 XIX. BATTLE OF THE POP-GUNS 193 XX. A DAY IN THE VALLEY. 201 XXI. MONUMENTAL PI-PIS 207 XXII. PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST 212 XXIII. THE FEAST OF CALABASHES 220 XXIV. SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 228 XXV. KING MEHEVI 243 XXVI. NATIVE CUSTOMS 254 XXVII. KINDLINESS OF THE CANNIBALS 263 * Chapter III has been omitted from this edition. 464071 iv CONTENTS PAGE XXVIII. FISHING 272 XXIX. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY 277 XXX. TATTOOING AND TABOOING : 286 XXXI. CURIOUS ODDS AND ENDS 298 XXXII. A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 304 XXXIII. MARNOO RETURNS 316 XXXIV. THE ESCAPE 323 THE STORY OF TOBY 336 INTRODUCTION WHEN Typee first appeared, nearly seventy-five years ago, the life of sailors was still the glorious and bitter experience that Mr. Masefield describes, and not, as now, a merely foul and discomfortable existence as machine- tender or stoker. The rush of white sails over purple waters and the inescapable miseries of voyages apparently endless were even then a tradition, and a reality as well. At such a time a tale of sea-fever and sea-roving was heartily welcomed. But Melville added new ingredients to the familiar story : the mystery and horror of unvisited cannibal valleys, fearful perils and agonized efforts to escape, and withal a revelation of unsuspected kindliness and simple virtues in the bloodthirsty savages. We need no further reason to account for the high interest which Typee stirred on its appearance. It creates the sort of spell which has held children from play in every gen eration. But more than this makes up its permanent value and appeal. The two sailors, in their flight from the whaling vessel, climb with almost magical agility over fresh- smelling cliffs, and come down into a "Happy Valley" of childlike and delightful simplicity. It is a place of laughter and content. The cannibal warriors join mer rily in a pop-gun battle, or stumble in good-natured idle ness over the headstrong trails that form their chief highways. Their sole energetic efforts appear to be spent in lighting fires and carrying on the sacred rites of tattoo and taboo. It is difficult to believe that their guests vi INTRODUCTION were really "in constant danger of being dined upon." But so it was, as the frightful revelations of the pack ages in old Marheyo s house and of the covered canoes in the taboo groves near the Ti abundantly show. It is this astounding mixture of idyll and peril that makes a great part of the abiding charm and interest of Typee. The essential truth of Melville s account is well es tablished. The story has, indeed, been called pure romance. And certainly the author had neither oppor tunity nor inclination while in that "anxious paradise" for taking exact notes of his observations. Nor did he return home until nearly four years after he first set sail. His full and varied adventures included imprison ment in an island jail, chronicled in Omoo, and service on board a man-of-war, which he excellently describes, with its hardships and brutal floggings, in White- Jacket. Yet his recollections embodied in Typee, as verified by the testimony of later travelers, prove to be remarkably correct. One has only to turn to a recent matter-of-fact article, with photographic illustrations, by Mr. J. W. Church* to find confirmation for much of Melville s record. Both the pictures and the text present for the most part a reality flat and lifeless beside the writings of Melville or Stevenson, and so give a less vivid and real sense of the life and customs they portray. In part, too, Mr. Church s statements about long-vanished customs suggest that reliance on "long-bow accounts" by retired sailors and European officials which Melville satirizes. Yet the Geographic article, if less intimate and kindly in its view, only confirms Typee in the claim to essen tial truth which Melville made for it in his preface of 1846. *"A Vanishing People of the South Seas": The National Geo graphic Magazine, October, 1919. INTRODUCTION vii Typee has been heartily appreciated by those who have discovered it in every later generation. Stevenson wrote, "There are but two writers who have touched the South Seas with any genius, both Americans: Melville and Charles Warren Stoddard." And he speaks of Melville as "first and greatest." Stoddard s South Sea Idylls is indeed inferior only to Melville s and Stevenson s writings in charm and interest. His accounts of the savage dances and the equally savage lomi-lomi interestingly supplement those of Typee. The most satisfactory second visit to these islands for one who has voyaged there with Melville is provided in the magical atmosphere and color of Stevenson s The South Seas. Stevenson s descriptions of the handsome natives, with their tints of olive and ivory and their "large luminous, and melting eyes," and his account of their manner, "wild, shy, and refined," "fiercely proud," and of what he calls "almost . . . their deification of chil dren" suit well with Melville s delighted account. He confirms, too, all that Melville foresaw of the miserable results brought about by the coming of civilization. The natives he observed, their arts and enjoyments vanishing, were "dying of discouragement, perhaps I should rather say of acquiescence." He saw ruined houses, where the "insects consumed the walls as if they had been bread, and the rain and air ate into them like vitriol." The Typee valley itself is now altogether uninhabited. The contrast with the contented and superbly healthy natives of Melville s "Happy Valley" is painfully sad. STERLING ANDRUS LEONARD. THE LINCOLN SCHOOL OF TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY, January, 1920. THE text of this edition is complete but for some minor omissions, chiefly philosophical discussions and diatribes against the French and the missionaries. Stevenson has treated these subjects more calmly and definitively; here they merely delay an excellent narrative. A glos sary of Marquesan common and proper names and of other explanations which appear useful, and references to other writers who have treated the South Seas or Melville s life and writings follow the text. PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR MORE than three years have elapsed since the occur rence of the events recorded in this volume. The in terval, with the exception of the last few months, has been chiefly spent by the author tossing about on the wide ocean. Sailors are the only class of men who now-a-days see anything like stirring adventure; and many things which to fire-side people appear strange and romantic, to them seem as common-place as a jacket out at elbows. Yet, notwithstanding the familiarity of sailors with all sorts of curious adventure, the incidents recorded in the following pages have often served, when "spun as a yarn," not only to relieve the weariness of many a night-watch at sea, but to excite the warmest sympathies of the author s shipmates. He has been, therefore, led to think that his story could scarcely fail to interest those who are less familiar than the sailor with a life of adventure. In his account of the singular and interesting people among whom he was thrown, it will be observed that he chiefly treats of their more obvious peculiarities; and, in describing their customs, refrains in most cases from entering into explanations concerning their origin and purposes. As writers of travels among barbarous com munities are generally very diffuse on these subjects, he deems it right to advert to what may be considered a culpable omission. No one can be more sensible than 3 PREFACE the author: of his deficiencies in this and many other respects; but when the very peculiar circumstances in which he was placed are understood, he feels assured that all these omissions will be excused. In very many published narratives no little degree of attention is bestowed upon dates; but as the author lost all knowledge of the days of the week, during the occurrence of the scenes herein related, he hopes that the reader will charitably pass over his shortcomings in this particular. In the Polynesian words used in this volume ex cept in those cases where the spelling has been pre viously determined by others that form of orthogra phy has been employed which might be supposed most easily to convey their sound to a stranger. In several works descriptive of the islands in the Pacific, many of the most beautiful combinations of vocal sounds have been altogether lost to the ear of the reader by an over- attention to the ordinary rules of spelling. There are some things related in the narrative which will be sure to appear strange, or perhaps entirely incom prehensible, to the reader; but they cannot appear more so to him than they did to the author at the time. He has stated such matters just as they occurred, and leaves every one to form his own opinion concerning them, trusting that his anxious desire to speak the unvarnished truth will gain for him the confidence of his readers. 1846. TYPEE CHAPTER I A LAND-SICK SHIP Six months at sea! Yes, reader, as I live, six months out of sight of land; cruising after the sperm-whale beneath the scorching sun of the Line, and tossed on the billows of the wide-rolling Pacific the sky above, the sea around, and nothing else! Weeks and weeks ago our fresh provisions were all exhausted. There is not a sweet potato left; not a single yam. Those glori ous bunches of bananas which once decorated our stern and quarter-deck have, alas, disappeared! and the delicious oranges which hung suspended from our tops and stays they, too, are gone ! Yes, they are all departed, and there is nothing left us but salt-horse and sea-biscuit. Oh! ye state-room sailors, who make so much ado about a fourteen-days passage across the Atlantic; who so pathetically relate the privations and hardships of the sea, where, after a day of breakfasting, lunching, dining off five courses, chatting, playing whist, and drinking champagne-punch, it was your hard lot to be shut up in nice little cabinets of mahogany and maple, and sleep for ten hours, with nothing to disturb you but "those good-for-nothing tars, shouting and tramping over head" what would you say to our six months out of sight of land? Oh! for a refreshing glimpse of one blade of grass for a snuff at the fragrance of a handful of the loamy 5 6 TYPEE earth! ts there nothing fresh around us? Is there no green thing to be seen? Yes, the inside of our bul warks is painted green; but what a vile and sickly hue it is, as if nothing bearing even the semblance of verdure could flourish this weary way from land. Even the bark that once clung to the wood we use for fuel has been gnawed off and devoured by the captain s pig; and so long ago, too, that the pig himself has in turn been devoured. There is but one solitary tenant in the chicken-coop, once a gay and dapper young cock, bearing him so bravely among the coy hens. But look at him now; there he stands, moping all the day long on that ever lasting one leg of his. He turns with disgust from the mouldy corn before him and the brackish water in his trough. He mourns no doubt his lost companions, lit erally snatched from him one by one, and never seen again. But his days of mourning will be few; for Mungo, our black cook, told me yesterday that the word had at last gone forth, and poor Pedro s fate was sealed. His attenuated body will be laid out upon the captain s table next Sunday, and long before night will be buried, with all the usual ceremonies, beneath that worthy in dividual s vest. Who would believe that there could be any one so cruel as to long for the decapitation of the luckless Pedro; yet the sailors pray every minute, selfish fellows, that the miserable fowl may be brought to his end. They say the captain will never point the ship for the land so long as he has in anticipation a mess of fresh meat. This unhappy bird can alone furnish it; and when he is once devoured, the captain will at once come to his senses. I wish thee no harm, Peter; but as thou art doomed, sooner or later, to meet the fate of all thy race; and if putting a period to thy existence A LAND-SICK SHIP 7 is to be the signal for our deliverance, why truth to speak I wish thy throat cut this very moment ; for, oh! how I wish to see the living earth again! The old ship herself longs to look out upon the land from her hawse-holes once more, and Jack Lewis said right the other day when the captain found fault with his steering. "Why, d ye see, Captain Vangs," says bold Jack, "I m as good a helmsman as ever put hand to spoke; but none of us can steer the old lady now. We can t keep her full and bye, sir: watch her ever so close, she will fall off; and then, sir, when I put the helm down so gently, and try like to coax her to the work, she won t take it kindly, but will fall round off again; and it s all because she knows the land is under the lee, sir, and she won t go any more to windward." Aye, and why should she, Jack? didn t every one of her stout timbers grow on shore, and hasn t she sensibilities as well as we? Poor old ship! Her very looks denote her desires! how deplorably she appears! The paint on her sides, burnt up by the scorching sun, is puffed out and cracked. See the weeds she trails along with her, and what an un sightly bunch of those horrid barnacles has formed about her stern-piece; and every time she rises on a sea, she shows her copper torn away, or hanging in jagged strips. Poor old ship! I say again: for six months she has been rolling and pitching about, never for one moment at rest. But courage, old lass, I hope to see thee soon within a biscuit s toss of the merry land, riding snugly at anchor in some green cove, and sheltered from the boisterous winds. "Hurra, my lads! It s a settled thing; next week 8 TYPEE we shape our course to the Marquesas!" The Mar quesas! What strange visions of outlandish things does the very name spirit up! Cannibal banquets groves of cocoa-nut coral reefs tatooed chiefs and bam boo temples; sunny valleys planted with bread-fruit- trees carved canoes dancing on the flashing blue waters savage woodlands guarded by horrible idols heathenish rites and human sacrifices. Such were the strangely jumbled anticipations that haunted me during our passage from the cruising ground. I felt an irresistible curiosity to see those islands which the olden voyagers had so glowingly described. The group for which we were now steering (although among the earliest of European discoveries in the South Seas, having been first visited in the year 1595) still continues to be tenanted by beings as strange and bar barous as ever. How interesting the circumstances under which they were discovered! In the watery path of Mendana, cruising in quest of some region of gold, these isles had sprung up like a scene of enchantment, and for a moment the Spaniard believed his bright dream was realised. In honor of the Marquess de Mendoza, then viceroy of Peru under whose auspices the navigator sailed he bestowed upon them the name which de noted the rank of his patron, and gave to the world on his return a vague and magnificent account of their beauty. But these islands, undisturbed for years, re lapsed into their previous obscurity; and it is only re cently that anything has been known concerning them. Once in the course of a half-century, to be sure, some adventurous rover would break in upon their peaceful repose, and, astonished at the unusual scene, would be almost tempted to claim the merit of a new discovery. Of this interesting group, but little account has ever A LAND-SICK SHIP 9 been given, if we except the slight mention made of them in the sketches of South Sea voyages. Cook, in his repeated circumnavigations of the globe, barely touched at their shores; and all that we know about them is from a few general narratives. Among these, there are two that claim particular notice. Porter s "Journal of the Cruise of the U. S. Frigate Essex, in the Pacific, during the late War," is said to contain some interesting particulars concerning the islanders. This is a work, however, which I have never happened to meet with; and Stewart, the chaplain of the American sloop of war Vincennes, has likewise devoted a portion of his book, entitled "A Visit to the South Seas," to the same subject. Within the last few years American and English vessels engaged in the extensive whale fisheries of the Pacific have occasionally, when short of provisions, put into the commodious harbour which there is in one of the islands; but a fear of the natives, founded on a recollection of the dreadful fate which many white men have received at their hands, has deterred their crews from intermixing with the population sufficiently to gain any insight into their peculiar customs and manners. The Protestant Missions appear to have despaired of reclaiming these islands from heathenism. The usage they have in every case received from the natives has been such as to intimidate the boldest of their number. CHAPTER II THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA I CAN never forget the eighteen or twenty days dur ing which the light trade-winds were silently sweeping us towards the islands. In pursuit of the sperm-whale, we had been cruising on the line some twenty degrees to the westward of the Gallipagos; and all that we had to do, when our course was determined on, was to square in the yards and keep the vessel before the breeze, and then the good ship and the steady gale did the rest between them. The man at the wheel never vexed the old lady with any superfluous steering, but, comfortably adjusting his limbs at the tiller, would doze away by the hour. True to her work, the Dolly headed to her course, and like one of those characters who always do the best when let alone, she jogged on her way like a veteran old sea-pacer as she was. What a delightful, lazy, languid time we had whilst we were thus gliding along! There was nothing to be done; a circumstance that happily suited our disinclina tion to do anything. We abandoned the fore-peak altogether, and spreading an awning over the forecastle, slept, ate, and lounged under it the live-long day. Every one seemed to be under the influence of some narcotic. Even the officers aft, whose duty required them never to be seated while keeping a deck watch, vainly endeavoured to keep on their pins, and were obliged invariably to compromise the matter by leaning 10 THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA n up against the bulwarks and gazing abstractedly over the side. Reading was out of the question; take a book in your hand, and you were asleep in an instant. Although I could not avoid yielding in a great measure to the general languor, still at times I con trived to shake off the spell, and to appreciate the beauty of the scene around me. The sky presented a clear expanse of the most delicate blue, except along the skirts of the horizon, where you might see a thin drapery of pale, clouds which never varied their form or colour. The long, measured, dirge-like swell of the Pacific came rolling along, with its surface broken by little tiny waves, sparkling in the sunshine. Every now and then a shoal of flying-fish, scared from the water under the bows, would leap into the air, and fall the next moment like a shower of silver into the sea. Then you would see the superb albicore, with his glittering sides, sailing aloft, and often describing an arc in his descent, disappear on the surface of the water. Far off, the lofty jet of the whale might be seen, and riearer at hand the prowling shark, that villainous footpad of the seas, would come skulking along, and, at a wary dis tance, regard us with his evil eye. At times, some shapeless monster of the deep, floating on the sur face, would, as we approached, sink slowly into the blue waters and fade away from the sight. But the most impressive feature of the scene was the almost unbroken silence that reigned over sky and water. Scarcely a sound could be heard but the occasional breathing of the grampus and the rippling at the cut water. As we drew nearer the land, I hailed with delight the appearance of innumerable sea- fowl. Screaming and whirl ing in spiral tracks, they would accompany the vessel, 12 TYPEE and at times alight on our yards and stays. That pi ratical-looking fellow appropriately named the man-of- war s hawk, with his blood-red bill and raven plumage, would come sweeping round us in gradually diminishing circles, till you could distinctly mark the strange flash ings of his eye and then, as if satisfied with his obser vation, would sail up into the air and disappear from the view. Soon other evidences of our vicinity to the land were apparent, and it was not long before the glad announcement of its being in sight was heard from aloft given with that peculiar prolongation of sound that a sailor loves "Land ho!" The captain, darting on deck from the cabin, bawled lustily for his spy-glass; the mate in still louder accents hailed the mast-head with a tremendous "Where-away?" The black cook thrust his woolly head from the galley, and Boatswain, the dog, leaped up between the knight- heads and barked most furiously. Land ho! Aye, there it was. A hardly perceptible blue irregular outline indi cating the bold contour of the lofty heights of Nuku- heva. This island, although generally called one of the Mar quesas, is by some navigators considered as forming one of a distinct cluster, comprising the islands of Ruhooka, Ropo, and Nukuheva; upon which three the appellation of the Washington Group has been bestowed. They form a triangle, and lie within the parallels of 8 38" and 9 32" South latitude, and 139 20 and 140 10 West longitude from Greenwich. With how little pro priety they are to be regarded as forming a separate group will be at once apparent, when it is considered that they lie in the immediate vicinity of the other islands, that is to say, less than a degree to the northwest of them; that their inhabitants speak the Marquesan dia- THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA 13 lect, and that their laws, religion, and general customs are identical. The only reason why they were ever thus arbitrarily distinguished may be attributed to the singular fact that their existence was altogether unknown to the world until the year 1791, when they were discovered by Captain Ingraham, of Boston, Massa chusetts, nearly two centuries after the discovery of the adjacent islands by the agent of the Spanish Viceroy. Notwithstanding this, I shall follow the example of most voyagers, and treat of them as forming part and parcel of the Marquesas. Nukuheva is the most important of these islands, being the only one at which ships are much in the habit of touching, and is celebrated as being the place where the adventurous Captain Porter refitted his ships during the late war between England and the United States, and whence he sallied out upon the large whaling fleet then sailing under the enemy s flag in the surrounding seas. This island is about twenty miles in length, and nearly as many in breadth. It has three good harbours on its coast; the largest and best of which is called by the people living in its vicinity "Taiohae," and by Captain Porter was denominated Massachusetts Bay. Among the adverse tribes dwelling about the shores of the other bays, and by all voyagers, it is generally known by the name bestowed upon the island itself Nukuheva. Its inhabitants have become somewhat cor rupted, owing to their recent commerce with Europeans; but so far as regards their peculiar customs and general mode of life, they retain their original primitive char acter, remaining very nearly in the same state of nature in which they were first beheld by white men. The hostile clans, residing in the more remote sections of the island, and very seldom holding any communication 14 , TYPEE with foreigners, are in every respect unchanged from their earliest known condition. In the bay of Nukuheva was the anchorage we desired to reach. We had perceived the loom of the mountains about sunset; so that after running all night with a very light breeze, we found ourselves close in with the island the next morning; but as the bay we sought lay on its farther side, we were obliged to sail some distance along the shore, catching, as we proceeded, short glimpses of blooming valleys, deep glens, waterfalls, and waving groves, hidden here and there by projecting and rocky headlands, every moment opening to the view some new and startling scene of beauty. Those who for the first time visit the South Seas generally are surprised at the appearance of the islands when beheld from the sea. From the vague accounts we sometimes have of their beauty, many people are apt to picture to themselves enamelled and softly swelling plains, shaded over with delicious groves, and watered by purling brooks, and the entire country but little ele vated above the surrounding ocean. The reality is very different; bold rock-bound coasts, with the surf beating high against the lofty cliffs, and broken here and there into deep inlets, which open to the view thickly wooded valleys, separated by the spurs of mountains clothed with tufted grass, and sweeping down towards the sea from an elevated and furrowed interior, form the prin cipal features of these islands. Towards noon we drew abreast the entrance to the harbour, and at last we slowly swept by the intervening promontory and entered the bay of Nukuheva. No de scription can do justice to its beauty; but that beauty was lost to me then, and I saw nothing but the tri- colored flag of France trailing over the stern of six THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA 15 vessels, whose black hulls and bristling broadsides pro claimed their warlike character. There they were, float ing in that lovely bay, the green eminences of the shore looking down so tranquilly upon them, as if rebuking the sternness of their aspect. To my eye nothing could be more out of keeping than the presence of these ves sels; but we soon learnt what brought them there. The whole group of islands had just been taken possession of by Rear Admiral Dupetit Thouars, in the name of the invincible French nation. This item of information was imparted to us by a most extraordinary individual, a genuine South Sea vaga bond, who came alongside of us in a whale-boat as soon as we entered the bay, and by the aid of some benevo lent persons at the gangway was assisted on board; for our visitor was in that interesting stage of intoxication when a man is amiable and helpless. Although he was utterly unable to stand erect, or to navigate his body across the deck, he still magnanimously proffered his services to pilot the ship to a good and secure anchorage. Our captain, however, rather distrusted his ability in this respect, and refused to recognise his claim to the character he assumed; but our gentleman was deter mined to play his part, for by dint of much scrambling he succeeded in getting into the weather-quarter boat, where he steadied himself by holding on to a shroud, and then commenced issuing his commands with amaz ing volubility and very peculiar gestures. Of course no one obeyed his orders; but as it was impossible to quiet him, we swept by the ships of the squadron with this strange fellow performing his antics in full view of all the French officers. We afterwards learned that our eccentric friend had been a lieutenant in the English navy; but having dis- i 6 TYPEE graced his flag by some criminal conduct in one of the principal ports on the main, he had deserted his ship, and spent many hours wandering among the islands of the Pacific, until accidentally being at Nukuheva when the French took possession of the place, he had been ap pointed pilot of the harbour by the newly constituted authorities. As we slowly advanced up the bay, numerous canoes pushed off from the surrounding shores, and we were soon in the midst of quite a flotilla of them, their savage occupants struggling to get aboard of us, and jostling one another in their ineffectual attempts. Occasionally the projecting out-riggers of their slight shallops, run ning foul of one another, would become entangled beneath the water, threatening to capsize the canoes, when a scene of confusion would ensue that baffles description. Such strange outcries and passionate ges ticulations I never certainly heard or saw before. You would have thought the islanders were on the point of flying at one another s throats, whereas they were only amicably engaged in disentangling their boats. Scattered here and there among the canoes might be seen numbers of cocoa-nuts floating closely together in circular groups and bobbing up and down with every wave. By some inexplicable means these cocoa-nuts were all steadily approaching towards the ship. As I leaned curiously over the side, endeavouring to solve their mysterious movements, one mass far in advance of the rest attracted my attention. In its centre was something I could take for nothing else than a cocoa- nut, but which I certainly considered one of the most extraordinary specimens of the fruit I had ever seen. It kept twirling and dancing about among the rest in the most singular manner, and as it drew nearer, I THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA 17 thought it bore a remarkable resemblance to the brown shaven skull of one of the savages. Presently it be trayed a pair of eyes, and soon I became aware that what I had supposed to have been one of the fruit was nothing else than the head of an islander, who had adopted this singular method of bringing his produce to market. The cocoa-nuts were all attached to one another by strips of the husk, partly torn from the shell and rudely fastened together. Their proprietor, insert ing his head into the midst of them, impelled his neck lace of cocoa-nuts through the water by striking out beneath the surface with his feet. I was somewhat astonished to perceive that among the number of natives that surrounded us, not a single female was to be seen. At that time I was ignorant of the fact that, by the operation of the "taboo," the use of canoes in all parts of the island is rigorously pro hibited to the entire sex, for whom it is death even to be seen entering one when hauled on shore; conse quently, whenever a Marquesan lady voyages by water, she puts in requisition the paddles of her own fair body. We had approached within a mile and a half, perhaps, of the foot of the bay, when some of the islanders, who by this time had managed to scramble aboard of us at the risk of swamping their canoes, directed our attention to a singular commotion in the water ahead of the ves sel. At first I imagined it to be produced by a shoal of fish sporting on the surface, but our savage friends assured us that it was caused by a shoal of "whin- henies" (young girls), who in this manner were coming off from the shore to welcome us. As they drew nearer, and I watched the rising and sinking of their forms, and beheld the uplifted right arm bearing above the water the girdle of tappa, and their long dark hair i8 TYPEE trailing beside them as they swam, I almost fancied they could be nothing else than so many mermaids and very like mermaids they behaved too. We were still some distance from the beach, and under slow headway, when we sailed right into the midst of the swimming nymphs, and they boarded us at every quarter; many seizing hold of the chain-plates and springing into the chains; others, at the peril of being run over by the vessel in her course, catching at the bob-stays, and wreathing their slender forms about the ropes, hung suspended in the air. All of them at length succeeded in getting up the ship s side, where they clung dripping with the brine, and glowing from the bath, their jet-black tresses streaming over their shoul ders, and half enveloping their otherwise naked forms. There they hung, sparkling with savage vivacity, laugh ing gayly at one another, and chattering away with infinite glee. Nor were they idle the while, for each one performed the simple offices of the toilet for the other. Their luxuriant locks, wound up and twisted into the smallest possible compass, were freed from the briny element; the whole person carefully dried, and from a little round shell that passed from hand to hand, anointed with a fragrant oil: their adornments were completed by passing a few loose folds of white tappa, in a modest cincture, around the waist. Thus arrayed, they no longer hesitated, but flung themselves lightly over the bulwarks, and were quickly frolicking about the decks. Many of them went forward, perching upon the head-rails, or running out upon the bowsprit, while others seated themselves upon the taffrail, or reclined at full length upon the boats. Their appearance perfectly amazed me; their extreme youth, the light clear brown of their complexions, their THE BAY OF NUKUHEVA 19 delicate features and inexpressibly graceful figures, their softly moulded limbs, and free unstudied action, seemed as strange as beautiful. The Dolly was fairly captured; and never I will say was vessel carried before by such a dashing and irresis tible party of boarders! The ship taken, we could not do otherwise than yield ourselves prisoners. In the evening after we had come to an anchor the deck was illuminated with lanterns, and this picturesque band of sylphs, tricked out with flowers, and dressed in robes of variegated tappa, got up a ball in great style. These females are passionately fond of dancing, and in the wild grace and spirit of their style excel everything that I have ever seen. The varied dances of the Marquesan girls are beautiful in the extreme, but there is an aban doned voluptuousness in their character which I dare not attempt to describe. CHAPTER IV* RESOLVE TO ESCAPE OUR ship had not been many days in the harbour of Nukuheva before I came to the determination of leav ing her. That my reasons for resolving to take this step were numerous and weighty may be inferred from the fact that I chose rather to risk my fortunes among the savages of the island than to endure another voyage on board the Dolly. To use the concise, point-blank phrase of the sailors, I had made up my mind to "run away." Now, as a meaning is generally attached to these two words no way flattering to the individual to whom they are applied, it behoves me, for the sake of my own character, to offer some explanation of my conduct. When I entered on board the Dolly, I signed, as a matter of course, the ship s articles, thereby voluntarily engaging and legally binding myself to serve in a cer tain capacity for the period of the voyage; and, special considerations apart, I was of course bound to fulfill the agreement. But in all contracts, if one party fail to perform his share of the compact, is not the other virtu ally absolved from his liability? Who is there who will not answer in the affirmative? Having settled the principle, then, let me apply it to the particular case in question. In numberless instances had not only the implied but the specified conditions * Chapter III, an account of the French and the missionaries, has been omitted from this edition. 20 RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 21 of the articles been violated on the part of the ship in which I served. The usage on board of her was tyran nical; the sick had been inhumanly neglected; the pro visions had been doled out in scanty allowance; and her cruises were unreasonably protracted. The captain was the author of these abuses; it was in vain to think that he would either remedy them or alter his conduct, which was arbitrary and violent in the extreme. His prompt reply to all complaints and remonstrances was the butt- end of a hand-spike, so convincingly administered as effectually to silence the aggrieved party. To whom could we apply for redress? We had left both law and equity on the other side of the Cape; and unfortunately, with a very few exceptions, our crew was composed of a parcel of dastardly and mean-spirited wretches, divided among ourselves, and only united in enduring without resistance the unmitigated tyranny of the captain. It would have been mere madness for any two or three of the number, unassisted by the rest, to attempt making a stand against his ill-usage. They would only have called down upon themselves the par ticular vengeance of this "Lord of the Plank," and sub jected their shipmates to additional hardships. But, after -all, these things could have been endured awhile, had we entertained the hope of being speedily delivered from them by the due completion of the term of our servitude. But what a dismal prospect awaited us in this quarter! The longevity of Cape Horn whal ing voyages is proverbial, frequently extending over a period of four or five years. Some long-haired, bare necked youths, who, forced by the united influences of Captain Marryatt and hard times, embark at Nan- tucket for a pleasure excursion to the Pacific, and whose anxious mothers provide them with bottled milk for the 22 TYPEE occasion, oftentimes return very respectable middle-aged gentleman. The very preparations made for one of these expedi tions are enough to frighten one. As the vessel carries out no cargo, her hold is filled with provisions for her own consumption. The owners, who officiate as caterers for the voyage, supply the larder with an abundance of dainties. Delicate morsels of beef and pork, cut on scientific principles from every part of the animal, and of all conceivable shapes and sizes, are carefully packed in salt and stored away in barrels, affording a never- ending variety in their different degrees of toughness, and in the peculiarities of their saline properties. Choice old water too, decanted into stout six-barrel-casks, two pints of which are allowed every day to each soul on board, together with ample store of sea-bread, previously reduced to a state of petrifaction with a view to preserve it either from decay or consumption in the ordinary mode, are likewise provided for the nourishment and gastronomic enjoyment of the crew. But not to speak of the quality of these articles of sailors fare, the abundance in which they are put on board a whaling vessel is almost incredible. Oftentimes, when we had occasion to break out in the hold, and I beheld the successive tiers of casks and barrels, whose contents were all destined to be consumed in due course by the ship s company, my heart sank within me. Although, as a general case, a ship unlucky in falling in with whales continues to cruise after them until she has barely sufficient provisions remaining to take her home, turning round then quietly and making the best of her way to her friends, yet there are instances when even this natural obstacle to the further prosecution of the voyage is overcome by headstrong captains, who, RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 23 bartering the fruits of their hard-earned toils for a new supply of provisions in some of the ports of Chili or Peru, begin the voyage afresh, with unabated zeal and perseverance. It is in vain that the owners write urgent letters to him to sail for home, and for their sake to bring back the ship, since it appears he can put nothing in her. Not he. He has registered a vow: he will fill his vessel with good sperm oil, or failing to do so, never again strike Yankee soundings. I heard of one whaler which after many years ab sence was given up for lost. The last that had been heard of her was a shadowy report of her having touched at some of those unstable islands in the far Pacific whose eccentric wanderings are carefully noted in each new edition of the South Sea charts. After a long in terval, however, the Perseverance for that was her name was spoken somewhere in the vicinity of the ends of the earth, cruising along as leisurely as ever, her sails all bepatched and bequilted with rope-yarns, her spars fished with old pipe stores, and her rigging knotted and spliced in every possible direction. Her crew was composed of some twenty venerable Greenwich- pensioner-looking old salts, who just managed to hobble about deck. The ends of all the running ropes, with the exception of the signal halyards and poop-down-haul, were rove through snatch-blocks, and led to the capstan or windlass, so that not a yard was braced or a sail set without the assistance of machinery. Her hull was encrusted with barnacles, which com pletely encased her. Three pet sharks followed in her wake, and every day came alongside to regale themselves from the contents of the cook s bucket, which were pitched over to them. A vash shoal of bonetas and albicores always kept her company. 24 TYPEE Such was the account I heard of this vessel, and the remembrance of it always haunted me; what eventually became of her I never learned; at any rate she never reached home, and I suppose she is still regularly tack ing twice in the twenty- four hours somewhere off Deso late Island, or the DeviFs-Tail Peak. Having said thus much touching the usual length of these voyages, when I inform the reader that ours had as it were just commenced, we being only fifteen months out, and even at that time hailed as a late arrival and boarded for news, he will readily perceive that there was little to encourage one in looking forward to the future, especially as I had always had a presentiment that we should make an unfortunate voyage, and our experience so far had justified the expectation. I may here state, and on my faith as an honest man, that though more than three years have elapsed since I left this same identical vessel, she still continues in the Pacific; and but a few days since I saw her reported in the papers as having touched at the Sandwich Islands, previous to going on the coast of Japan. But to return to my narrative. Placed in these cir cumstances, then, with no prospect of matters mending if I remained aboard the Dolly, I at once made up my mind to leave her; to be sure, it was rather an inglorious thing to steal away privately from those at whose hands I had received wrongs and outrages that I could not re sent; but how was such a course to be avoided when it was the only alternative left me? Having made up my mind, I proceeded to acquire all the information I could obtain relating to the island and its inhabitants, with a view of shaping my plans of escape accordingly. The result of these inquiries I will now state, in order that the ensuing narrative may be the better understood. RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 25 The bay of Nukuheva, in which we were then lying, is an expanse of water not unlike a horse-shoe. It is, per haps, nine miles in circumference. You approach it from the sea by a narrow entrance, flanked on either side by two small twin islets which soar conically to the height of some five hundred feet. From these the shore recedes on both hands, and describes a deep semicircle. From the verge of the water the land rises uniformly on all sides, with green and sloping acclivities, until from gently rolling hillsides and moderate elevations it insensibly swells into lofty and majestic heights, whose blue outlines, ranged all around, close in the view. The beautiful aspect of the shore is heightened by deep and romantic glens, which come down to it at almost equal distances, all apparently radiating from a common cen tre, and the upper extremities of which are lost to the eye beneath the shadow of the mountains. Down each of these little valleys flows a clear stream, here and there assuming the form of a slender cascade, then stealing invisibly along until it bursts upon the sight again in larger and more noisy waterfalls, and at last demurely wanders along to the sea. The houses of the natives, constructed of the yellow bamboo, tastefully twisted together in a kind of wicker- work, and thatched with long tapering leaves of the palmetto, are scattered irregularly along these valleys be neath the shady branches of the cocoa-nut trees. Nothing can exceed the imposing scenery of this bay. Viewed from our ship as she lay at anchor in the middle of the harbour, it presented the appearance of a vast natural ampitheatre in decay, and overgrown with vines, the deep glens that furrowed its sides appearing like enormous fissures caused by the ravages of time. Very often when lost in admiration at its beauty, I have ex- 26 TYPEE perienced a pang of regret that a scene so enchanting should be hidden from the world in these remote seas, and seldom meet the eyes of devoted lovers of nature. Besides this bay the shores of the island are indented by several other extensive inlets, into which descend broad and verdant valleys. These are inhabited by as many distinct tribes of savages, who, although speaking kin dred dialects of a common language, and having the same religion and laws, have from time immemorial waged hereditary warfare against each other. The in tervening mountains, generally two or three thousand feet above the level of the sea, geographically define the territories of each of these hostile tribes, who never cross them save on some expedition of war or plunder. Im mediately adjacent to Nukuheva, and only separated from it by the mountains seen from the harbour, lies the lovely valley of Happar, whose inmates cherish the most friendly relations with the inhabitants of Nukuheva. On the other side of Happar, and closely adjoining it, is the magnificent valley of the dreaded Typees, the unap peasable enemies of both these tribes. These celebrated warriors appear to inspire the other islanders with unspeakable terrors. Their very name is a frightful one; for the word "Typee" in the Marque- san dialect signifies a lover of human flesh. It is rather singular that the title should have been bestowed upon them exclusively, inasmuch as the natives of all this group are irreclaimable cannibals. The name may, per haps, have been given to denote the peculiar ferocity of this clan, and to convey a special stigma along with it. These same Typees enjoy a prodigious notoriety all over the islands. The natives of Nukuheva would fre quently recount in pantomime to our ship s company their terrible feats, and would show the marks of wounds RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 27 they had received in desperate encounters with them. When ashore they would try to frighten us by pointing to one of their own number, and calling him a Typee, manifesting no little surprise that we did not take to our heels at so terrible an announcement. It was quite amusing, too, to see with what earnestness they disclaimed all cannibal propensities on their own part, while they denounced their enemies the Typees as inveterate gormandizers of human flesh; but this is a peculiarity to which I shall hereafter have occasion to allude. Although I was convinced that the inhabitants of our bay were as arrant cannibals as any of the other tribes on the island, still I could not but feel a particular and most unqualified repugnance to the aforesaid Typees. Even before visiting the Marquesas, I had heard from men who had touched at the group on former voyages some revolting stories in connection with these savages; and fresh in my remembrance was the adventure of the master of the Katherine, who only a few months pre vious, imprudently venturing into this bay in an armed boat for the purpose of barter, was seized by the natives, carried back a little distance into this valley, and was only saved from a cruel death by the intervention of a young girl, who facilitated his escape by night along the beach to Nukuheva. I had heard, too, of an English vessel that many years ago, after a weary cruise, sought to enter the bay of Nukuheva, and arriving within two or three miles of the land, was met by a large canoe filled with natives, who offered to lead the way to the place of their destination. The captain, unacquainted with the localities of the island, joyfully acceded to the proposition the canoe paddled on, and the ship followed. She was soon con ducted to a beautiful inlet, and dropped her anchor in 28 TYPEE its waters, beneath the shadows of the lofty shore. That same night the perfidious Typees, who had thus inveigled her into their fatal bay, flocked aboard the doomed vessel by hundreds, and at a given signal murdered every soul on board. I shall never forget the observation of one of our crew as we were passing slowly by the entrance of this bay on our way to Nukuheva. As we stood gazing over the side at the verdant headlands, Ned, pointing with his hand in the direction of the treacherous valley, ex claimed, "There there s Typee. Oh, the bloody can nibals, what a meal they d make of us if we were to take it into our heads to land! But they say they don t like sailor s flesh; it s too salt. I say, maty, how should you like to be shoved ashore there, eh?" I little thought, as I shuddered at the question, that in the space of a few weeks I should actually be a captive in that self same valley. The French, although they had gone through the ceremony of hoisting their colours for a few hours at all the principal places of the group, had not as yet visited the bay of Typee, anticipating a fierce resistance on the part of the savages there, which for the present at least they wished to avoid. Perhaps they were not a little influenced in the adoption of this unusual policy from a recollection of the warlike reception given by the Typees to the forces of Captain Porter, about the year 1814, when that brave and accomplished officer endeavoured to subjugate the clan merely to gratify the mortal hatred of his allies the Nukuhevas and Happars. On that occasion I have been told that a considerable detachment of sailors and marines from the frigate Essex accompanied by at least two thousand warriors of Happar and Nukuheva, landed in boats and canoes at the head of RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 29 the bay, and after penetrating a little distance into the valley, met with the stoutest resistance from its inmates. Valiantly, although with much loss, the Typees dis puted every inch of ground, and after some hard fight ing obliged the assailants to retreat and abandon their design of conquest. The invaders, on their march back to the sea, con soled themselves for their repulse by setting fire to every house and temple on their route; and a long line of smoking ruins defaced the once-smiling bosom of the valley, and proclaimed to its pagan inhabitants the spirit that reigned in the breasts of Christian soldiers. Who can wonder at the deadly hatred of the Typees to all foreigners after such unprovoked atrocities? Thus it is that they whom we dominate "savages" are made to deserve the title. When the inhabitants of some sequestered island first descry the "big canoe" of the European rolling through the blue waters towards their shores, they rush down to the beach in crowds, and with open arms stand ready to embrace the stran gers. Fatal embrace! They fold to their bosoms the vipers whose sting is destined to poison all their joys; and the instinctive feeling of love within their breasts is soon converted into the bitterest hate. The enormities perpetrated in the South Seas upon some of the inoffensive islanders well nigh pass belief. These things are seldom proclaimed at home; they hap pen at the very ends of the earth; they are done in a corner, and there are none to reveal them. But there is, nevertheless, many a petty trader that has navigated the Pacific, whose course from island to island might be traced by a series of cold-blooded robberies, kidnappings, and murders, the iniquity of which might be considered almost sufficient to sink her guilty timbers to the bot tom of the sea. 30 TYPEE Sometimes vague accounts of such things reach our firesides, and we coolly censure them as wrong, impoli tic, needlessly severe, and dangerous to the crews of other vessels. How different is our tone when we read the highly wrought description of the massacre of the crew of the Hobomak by the Feejees! how we sympathise for the unhappy victims, and with what horror do we regard the diabolical heathens, who, after all, have but avenged the unprovoked injuries which they have received! We breathe nothing but vengeance, and equip armed vessels to traverse thousands of miles of ocean in order to exe cute summary punishment upon the offenders. On arriv ing at their destination, they burn, slaughter, and destroy, according to the tenor of written instructions, and sailing away from the scene of devastation, call upon all Chris tendom to applaud their courage and their justice. How often is the term "savages" incorrectly applied! None really deserving of it were ever discovered by voyagers or by travellers. They have discovered heathens and barbarians, whom by horrible cruelties they have exasperated into savages. It may be asserted, without fear of contradiction, that in all the cases of outrages committed by Polynesians, Europeans have at some time or other been the aggressors, and that the cruel and bloodthirsty disposition of some of the island ers is mainly to be ascribed to the influence of such examples. But to return. Owing to the mutual hostilities of the different tribes I have mentioned, the mountainous tracts which separate their respective territories remain altogether uninhabited, the natives invariably dwelling in the depths of the valleys, with a view of securing themselves from the predatory incursions of their ene mies, who often lurk along their borders, ready to cut RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 31 off any imprudent straggler or make a descent upon the inmates of some sequestered habitation. I several times met with very aged men who from this cause had never passed the confines of their native vale, some of them having never even ascended midway up the moun tains in the whole course of their lives, and who, accord ingly, had little idea of the appearance of any other part of the island, the whole of which is not perhaps more than sixty miles in circuit. The little space in which some of these clans pass away their days would seem almost incredible. The glen of Tior will furnish a curious illustration of this. The inhabited part is not more than four miles in length, and varies in breadth from half a mile to less than a quarter. The rocky vine-clad cliffs on one side tower almost perpendicularly from their base to the height of at least fifteen hundred feet; while across the vale in striking contrast to the scenery opposite grass-grown elevations rise one above another in bloom ing terraces. Hemmed in by these stupendous barriers, the valley would be altogether shut out from the rest of the world, were it not that it is accessible from the sea at one end and by a narrow defile at the other. The impression produced upon my mind, when I first visited this beautiful glen, will never be obliterated. I had come from Nukuheva by water in the ship s boat, and when we entered the bay of Tior it was high noon. The heat had been intense, as we had been floating upon the long smooth swell of the ocean, for there was but little wind. The sun s rays had expended all their fury upon us; and to add to our discomfort, We had omitted to supply ourselves with water previous to starting. What with heat and thirst together, I became so impatient to get ashore that when at last 32 TYPEE we glided towards it, I stood up in the bow of the boat ready for a spring. As she shot two-thirds of her length high upon the beach, propelled by three or four strong strokes of the oars, I leaped among a parcel of juvenile savages, who stood prepared to give us a kind recep tion; and with them at my heels, yelling like so many imps, I rushed forward across the open ground in the vicinity of the sea, and plunged, diver fashion, into the recess of the first grove that offered. What a delightful sensation did I experience! I felt as if floating in some new element, while all sorts of gurgling, trickling liquid sounds fell upon my ear. Peo ple may say what they will about the refreshing influ ences of a cold-water bath, but commend me when in a perspiration to the shade baths of Tior, beneath the cocoa-nut trees, and amidst the cool delightful atmos phere which surrounds them. How shall I describe the scenery that met my eye, as I looked out from this verdant recess! The narrow valley, with its steep and close adjoining sides dra- peried with vines and arched overhead with a fret-work of interlacing boughs, nearly hidden from view by masses of leafy verdure, seemed from where I stood like an immense arbor disclosing its vista to the eye, whilst as I advanced it insensibly widened into the loveliest vale eye ever beheld. It so happened that the very day I was in Tior the French admiral, attended by all the boats of his squad ron, came down in state from Nukuheva to take formal possession of the place. He remained in the valley about two hours, during which time he had a ceremo- .nious interview with the king. The patriarch-sovereign of Tior was a man very far advanced in years; but though age had bowed his form and rendered him almost RESOLVE TO ESCAPE 33 decrepit, his gigantic frame retained all its original mag nitude and grandeur of appearance. He advanced slowly and with evident pain, assisting his tottering steps with the heavy war-spear he held in his hand, and attended by a group of grey-bearded chiefs, on one of whom he occasionally leaned for support. The admiral came forward with head uncovered and extended hand, while the old king saluted him by a stately flourish of his weapon. The next moment they stood side by side, these two extremes in the social scale the polished, splendid Frenchman and the poor tattooed savage. They were both tall and noble-looking men; but in other re spects how strikingly contrasted! Dupetit Thousars exhibited upon his person all the paraphernalia of his naval rank. He wore a richly decorated admiral s frock- coat, a laced chapeau bras, and upon his breast were a variety of ribbons and orders; while the simple islander, with the exception of a slight cincture about his loins, appeared in all the nakedness of nature. CHAPTER V TOBY S RESOLVE HAVING fully resolved to leave the vessel clandes tinely, and having acquired all the knowledge concern ing the bay that I could obtain under the circumstances in which I was placed, I now deliberately turned over in my mind every plan of escape that suggested itself, being determined to act with all possible prudence in an attempt where failure would be attended with so many disagreeable consequences. The idea of being taken and brought back ignominiously to the ship was so inexpressibly repulsive to me that I was determined by no hasty and imprudent measures to render such an event probable. I knew that our worthy captain, who felt such a paternal solicitude for the welfare of his crew , would not willingly consent that one of his best hands should encounter the perils of a sojourn among the natives of a barbarous island; and I was certain that in the event of my disappearance, his fatherly anxiety would prompt him to offer, by way of a reward, yard upon yard of gayly printed calico for my apprehension. He might even have appreciated my services at the value of a musket, in which case I felt perfectly certain that the whole population of the bay would be immediately upon my track, incited by the prospect of so magnificent a bounty. Having ascertained the fact before alluded to, that 34 TOBY S RESOLVE 35 the islanders, from motives of precaution, dwelt alto gether in the depths of the valleys and avoided wan dering about the more elevated portions of the shore, unless bound on some expedition of war or plunder, I concluded that if I could effect unperceived a passage to the mountains, I might easily remain among them, supporting myself by such fruits as came in my way until the sailing of the ship, an event of which I could not fail to be immediately apprised, as from my lofty position I should command a view of the entire harbour. The idea pleased me greatly. It seemed to combine a great deal of practicability with no inconsiderable en joyment in a quiet way; for how delightful it would be to look down upon the detested old vessel from the height of some thousand feet, and contrast the verdant scenery about me with the recollection of her narrow decks and gloomy forecastle! Why, it was really re freshing even to think of it; and so I straightway fell to picturing myself seated beneath a cocoa-nut tree on the brow of the mountain, with a cluster of plantains within easy reach, criticising her nautical evolutions as she was working her way out of the harbour. To be sure there was one rather unpleasant drawback to these agreeable anticipations the possibility of fall ing in with a foraging party of these same bloody-minded Typees, whose appetites, edged perhaps by the air of so elevated a region, might prompt them to devour one. This, I must confess, was a most disagreeable view of the matter. Just to think of a party of these unnatural gour mands taking it into their heads to make a convivial meal of a poor devil who would have no means of escape or defence! However, there was no help for it. I was willing to encounter some risks in order to accomplish 36 TYPEE my object, and counted much upon my ability to elude these prowling cannibals amongst the many coverts which the mountains afforded. Besides, the chances were ten to one in my favour that they would none of them quit their own fastnesses. I had determined not to communicate my design of withdrawing from the vessel to any of my shipmates, and least of all to solicit any one to accompany me in my flight. But it so happened one night, that being upon deck, revolving over in my mind various plans of escape, I perceived one of the ship s company leaning over the bulwarks, apparently plunged in a profound reverie. He was a young fellow about my own age, for whom I had all along entertained a great regard; and Toby (such was the name by which he went among us, for his real name he would never tell us) was every way worthy of it. He was active, ready, and obliging, of dauntless courage, and singularly open and fearless in the expression of his feelings. I had on more than one occasion got him out of scrapes into which this had led him; and I know not whether it was from this cause, or a certain congeniality of sentiment between us, that he had always shown a partiality for my society. We had battled out many a long watch together, beguiling the weary hours with chat, song, and story, mingled with a good many imprecations upon the hard destiny it seemed our common fortune to encounter. Toby, like myself, had evidently moved in a different sphere of life, and his conversation at times betrayed this, although he was anxious to conceal it. He was one of that class or rovers you sometimes meet at sea, who never reveal their origin, never allude to home, and go rambling over the world as if pursued by some mysterious fate they cannot possibly elude. TOBY S RESOLVE 37 There was much even in the appearance of Toby calculated to draw me towards him, for while the greater part of the crew were as coarse in person as in mind, Toby was endowed with a remarkably pre possessing exterior. Arrayed in his blue frock and duck trousers, he was as smart a looking sailor as ever stepped upon a deck; he was singularly small and slightly made, with great flexibility of limb. His naturally dark com plexion had been deepened by exposure to the tropical sun, and a mass of jetty locks clustered about his temples and threw a darker shade into his large black eyes. He was a strange wayward being, moody, fitful, and melancholy at times almost morose. He had a quick and fiery temper too, which, when thoroughly roused, transported him into a state bordering on de lirium. It is strange the power that a mind of deep passion has over feebler natures. I have seen a brawny fel low, with no lack of ordinary courage, fairly quail be fore this slender stripling when in one of his furious fits. But these paroxysms seldom occurred, and in them my big-hearted shipmate vented the bile which more calm-tempered individuals get rid of by a con tinual pettishness at trivial annoyances. No one ever saw Toby laugh, I mean in the hearty abandonment of broad-mouthed mirth. He did smile sometimes, it is true; and there was a good deal of dry, sarcastic humour about him, which told the more from the imperturbable gravity of his tone and manner. Latterly I had observed that Toby s melancholy had greatly increased, and I had frequently seen him since our arrival at the island gazing wistfully upon the shore, when the remainder of the crew would be rioting below. I was aware that he entertained a cordial detestation of 38 TYPEE the ship, and believed that, should a fair chance of escape present itself, he would embrace it willingly. But the attempt was so perilous in the place where we then lay that I supposed myself the only individual on board the ship who was sufficiently reckless to think of it. In this, however, I was mistaken. When I perceived Toby leaning, as I have mentioned, against the bulwarks and buried in thought, it struck me at once that the subject of his meditations might be the same as my own. And if it be so, thought I, is he not the very one of all my shipmates whom I would choose for the partner of my adventure? and why should I not have some comrade with me to divide its dangers and alleviate its hardships? Perhaps I might be obliged to lie concealed among the mountains for weeks. In such an event what a solace would a companion be! These thoughts passed rapidly through my mind, and I wondered why I had not before considered the matter in this light. But it was not too late. A tap upon the shoulder served to rouse Toby from his reverie; I found him ripe for the enterprise, and a very few words sufficed for a mutual understanding between us. In an hour s time we had arranged all the preliminaries and decided upon our plan of action. We then ratified our engagement with an affectionate wedding of palms, and to elude suspicion repaired each to his hammock, to spend the last night on board the Dolly. The next day the starboard watch, to which we both belonged, was to be sent ashore on liberty; and, avail ing ourselves of this opportunity, we determined, as soon after landing as possible, to separate ourselves from the rest of the men without exciting their suspi cions and strike back at once for the mountains. Seen from the ship ; their summits appeared inaccessible, but TOBY S RESOLVE 39 here and there sloping spurs extended from them almost into the sea, buttressing the lofty elevations with which they were connected and forming those radiating val leys I have before described. One of these ridges, which appeared more practicable than the rest, we determined to climb, convinced that it would conduct us to the heights beyond. Accordingly, we carefully observed its bearings and locality from the ship, so that when ashore we should run no chance of missing it. In all this the leading object we had in view was to seclude ourselves from sight until the departure of the vessel; then to take our chance as to the reception the Nukuheva natives might give us; and after remain ing upon the island as long as we found our stay agree able, to leave it the first favourable opportunity that offered. CHAPTER VI ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS EARLY the next morning the starboard watch were mustered upon the quarter-deck, and our worthy cap tain, standing in the cabin gangway, harangued us as follows: "Now, men, as we are just off a six months cruise, and have got through most all our work in port here, I suppose you want to go ashore. Well, I mean to give your watch liberty to-day, so you may get ready as soon as you please, and go; but understand this, I am going to give you liberty because I suppose you would growl like so many quarter gunners if I didn t; at the same time, if you ll take my advice, every mother s son of you will stay aboard, and keep out of the way of the bloody cannibals altogether. Ten to one, men, if you go ashore, you will get into some infernal row, and that will be the end of you; for if those tattooed scoundrels get you a little ways back into their valleys, they ll nab you that you may be certain of. Plenty of white men have gone ashore here and never been seen any more. There was the old Dido; she put in here about two years ago, and sent one watch off on liberty; they never were heard of again for a week the natives swore they didn t know where they were and only three of them ever got back to the ship again, and one with his face damaged for life, for the cursed heathens tattooed a broad patch clean across his figure-head. 40 ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS 41 But it will be no use talking to you, for go you will, that I see plainly; so all I have to say is that you need not blame me if the islanders make a meal of you. You may stand some chance of escaping them though if you keep close about the French encampment and are back to the ship again before sunset. Keep that much in your mind, if you forget all the rest I ve been saying to you. There, go forward; bear a hand and rig yourselves, and stand by for a call. At two bells the boat will be manned to take you off, and the Lord have mercy on you!" Various were the emotions depicted upon the counte nances of the starboard watch whilst listening to this address; but on its conclusion there was a general move towards the forecastle, and we soon were all busily en gaged in getting ready for the holiday so auspiciously announced by the skipper. During these preparations his harangue was commented upon in no very measured terms; and one of the party, after denouncing him as a lying old son of a sea-cook who begrudged a fellow a few hours liberty, exclaimed with an oath, "But you don t bounce me out of my liberty, old chap, for all your yarns; for I would go ashore if every pebble on the beach was a live coal, and every stick a gridiron, and the cannibals stood ready to broil me on landing." The spirit of this sentiment was responded to by all hands, and we resolved that in spite of the captain s croakings we would make a glorious day of it. But Toby and I had our own game to play, and we availed ourselves of the confusion which always reigns among a ship s company preparatory to going ashore to confer together and complete our arrangements. As our object was to effect as rapid a flight as possible to the mountains, we determined not to encumber ourselves 42 TYPEE with any superfluous apparel; and accordingly, while the rest were rigging themselves out with some idea of making a display, we were content to put on new stout duck trousers, serviceable pumps, and heavy Havre- frocks, which with a Payta hat completed our equip ment. When our shipmates wondered at this, Toby exclaimed in his odd, grave way that the rest might do as they liked, but that he for one preserved his go-ashore traps for the Spanish Main, where the tie of a sailor s necker chief might make some difference; but as for a parcel of unbreeched heathen, he wouldn t go to the bottom of his chest for any of them and was half disposed to appear among them in buff himself. The men laughed at what they thought was one of his strange conceits, and so we escaped suspicion. It may appear singular that we should have been thus on our guard with our own shipmates; but there were some among us who, had they possessed the least ink ling of our project, would, for a paltry hope of reward, have immediately communicated it to the captain. As soon as two bells were struck, the word was passed for the liberty-men to get into the boat. I lingered behind in the forecastle a moment, to take a parting glance at its familiar features, and just as I was about to ascend to the deck, my eye happened to light on the bread-barge and beef-kid, which contained the remnants of our last hearty meal. Although I had never before thought of providing anything in the way of food for our expedition, as I fully relied upon the fruits of the island to sustain us wherever we might wander, yet I could not resist the inclination I felt to provide luncheon from the relics before me. Accordingly I took a double handful of those small, broken, flinty bits of biscuit, ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS 43 which generally go by the name of "midshipman s nuts," and thrust them into the bosom of my frock, in which same ample receptacle I had previously stowed away several pounds of tobacco and a few yards of cotton cloth articles with which I intended to purchase the good-will of the natives, as soon as we should appear among them after the departure of our vessel. This last addition to my stock caused a considerable protuberance in front, which I abated in a measure by shaking the bits of bread around my waist and distrib uting the plugs of tobacco among the folds of the gar ment. Hardly had I completed these arrangements when my name was sung out by a dozen voices, and I sprung upon the deck, where I found all the party in the boat, and impatient to shove off. I dropped over the side and seated myself with the rest of the watch in the stern sheets, while the poor larboarders shipped their oars and commenced pulling us ashore. This happened to be the rainy season at the islands, and the heavens had nearly the whole morning beto kened one of those heavy showers which during this period so frequently occur. The large drops fell bub bling into the water shortly after our leaving the ship, and by the time we had effected a landing it poured down in torrents. We fled for shelter under cover of an immense canoe-house which stood hard by the beach, and waited for the first fury of the storm to pass. It continued, however, without cessation; and the monotonous beating of the rain over head began to exert a drowsy influence upon the men, who, throwing them selves here and there upon the large war-canoes, after chatting awhile, all fell asleep. This was the opportunity we desired, and Toby and 44 TYPEE I availed ourselves of it at once by stealing out of the canoe-house and plunging into the depths of an ex tensive grove that was in its rear. After ten minutes rapid progress we gained an open space from which we could just descry the ridge we intended to mount loom ing dimly through the mists of the tropical shower, and distant from us, as we estimated, something more than a mile. Our direct course towards it lay through a rather populous part of the bay; but desirous as we were of evading the natives and securing an unmolested retreat to the mountains, we determined, by taking a circuit through some extensive thickets, to avoid their vicinity altogether. The heavy rain that still continued to fall without intermission favoured our enterprise, as it drove the islanders into their houses and prevented any casual meeting with them. Our heavy frocks soon became completely saturated with water, and by their weight and that of the articles we had concealed beneath them, not a little impeded our progress. But it was no time to pause when at any moment we might be surprised by a body of the savages and forced at the very outset to relinquish our undertaking. Since leaving the canoe-house we had scarcely ex changed a single syllable with one another; but when we entered a second narrow opening in the wood, and again caught sight of the ridge before us, I took Toby by the arm, and pointing along its sloping outline to the lofty heights at its extremity, said in a low tone, "Now, Toby, not a word, nor a glance backward, till we stand on the summit of yonder mountain so no more lingering, but let us shove ahead while we can, and in a few hours time we may laugh aloud. You are the lightest and the nimblest, so lead on ? and I will follow." ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS 45 "All right, brother," said Toby, "quick s our play; only let s keep close together, that s all;" and so say ing, with a bound like a young roe, he cleared a brook which ran across our path and rushed forward with a quick step. When we arrived within a short distance of the ridge, we were stopped by a mass of tall yellow reeds, growing together as thickly as they could stand, and as tough and stubborn as so many rods of steel; and we perceived, to our chagrin, that they extended midway up the elevation we purposed to ascend. For a moment we gazed about us in quest of a more practicable route; it was, however, at once apparent that there was no resource but to pierce this thicket of canes at all hazards. We now reversed our order of march, I, being the heaviest, taking the lead, with a view of breaking a path through the obstruction, while Toby fell into the rear. Two or three times I endeavoured to insinuate myself between the canes, and by dint of coaxing and bending them to make some progress; but a bull-frog might as well have tried to work a passage through the teeth of a comb, and I gave up the attempt in despair. Half wild with meeting an obstacle we had so little anticipated, I . threw myself desperately against it, crushing to the ground the canes with which I came in contact; and, rising to my feet again, repeated the action with like effect. Twenty minutes of this violent exercise almost exhausted me, but it carried us some way into the thicket; when Toby, who had been reap ing the benefit of my labours by following close at my heels, proposed to become pioneer in turn, and ac cordingly passed ahead with a view of affording me a respite from my exertions. As, however, with his slight 46 TYPEE frame he made but bad work of it ; I was soon obliged to resume my old place again. On we toiled, the perspiration starting from our bodies in floods, our limbs torn and lacerated with the splintered fragments of the broken canes, until we had proceeded perhaps as far as the middle of the brake, when suddenly it ceased raining, and the atmosphere around us became close and sultry beyond expression. Thrf elasticity of the reeds, quickly recovering from the temporary pressure of our bodies, caused them to spring back to their original position so that they closed in upon us as we advanced and prevented the circula tion of the little air which might otherwise have reached us. Besides this, their great height completely shut us out from the view of surrounding objects, and we were not certain but that we might have been going all the time in a wrong direction. Fatigued with my long-continued efforts, and panting for breath, I felt myself completely incapacitated for any further exertion. I rolled up the sleeve of my frock and squeezed the moisture it contained into my parched mouth. But the few drops I managed to obtain gave me little relief, and I sunk down for a moment with a sort of dogged apathy, from which I was aroused by Toby, who had devised a plan to free us from the net in which we had become entangled. He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knife, lopping the canes right and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us. This sight reani mated me, and seizing my own knife, I hacked and hewed away without mercy. But alas! the farther we advanced, the thicker and taller, and apparently the more interminable, the reeds became. I began to think we were fairly snared, and had al- ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS 47 most made up my mind that without a pair of wings we should never be able to escape from the toils, when all at once I discerned a peep of daylight through the canes on my right, and, communicating the joyful tidings to Toby, we both fell to with fresh spirit, and speedily opening a passage towards it, we found ourselves clear of perplexities and in the near vicinity of the ridge. After resting for a few moments we began the ascent, and after a little vigorous climbing found ourselves close to its summit. Instead, however, of walking along its ridge, where we should have been in full view of the natives in the vales beneath and at a point where they could easily intercept us were they so inclined, we cau tiously advanced on one side, crawling on our hands and knees, and screened from observation by the grass through which we glided, much in the fashion of a couple of serpents. After an hour employed in this un pleasant kind of locomotion, we started to our feet again and pursued our way boldly along the crest of the ridge. This salient spur of the lofty elevations that encom passed the bay rose with a sharp angle from the valleys at its base, and presented, with the exception of a few steep acclivities, the appearance of a vast inclined plane, sweeping down towards the sea from the heights in the distance. We had ascended it near the place of its ter mination and at its lowest point, and now saw our route to the mountains distinctly denned along its narrow crest, which was covered with a soft carpet of verdure and was in many parts only a few feet wide. Elated with the success which had so far attended our enterprise, and invigorated by the refreshing atmos phere we now inhaled, Toby and I in high spirits were making our way rapidly along the ridge, when suddenly from the valleys below which lay on either side of us, 48 TYPEE we heard the distant shouts of the natives, who had just descried us, and to whom our figures, brought in bold relief against the sky, were plainly revealed. Glancing our eyes into these valleys, we perceived their savage inhabitants hurrying to and fro, seemingly under the influence of some sudden alarm, and appear ing to the eye scarcely bigger than so many pigmies; while their white thatched dwellings, dwarfed by the distance, looked like baby-houses. As we looked down upon the islanders from our lofty elevation, we experi enced a sense of security, feeling confident that, should they undertake a pursuit, it would, from the start we now had, prove entirely fruitless, unless they followed us into the mountains, where we knew they cared not to venture. However, we thought it as well to make the most of our time; and accordingly, where the ground would ad mit of it, we ran swiftly along the summit of the ridge, until we were brought to a stand by a steep cliff, which at first seemed to interpose an effectual barrier to our further advance. By dint of much hard scrambling, however, and at some risk to our necks, we at last sur mounted it, and continued our flight with unabated celerity. We had left the beach early in the morning, and after an uninterrupted, though at times difficult and dangerous ascent, during which we had never once turned our faces to the sea, we found ourselves, about three hours before sunset, standing on the top of what seemed to be the highest land on the island, an immense overhanging cliff, composed of basaltic rocks, hung round with parasitical plants. We must have been more than three thousand feet above the level of the sea, and the scenery viewed from this height was magnificent. ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS 49 The lonely bay of Nukuheva, dotted here and there with the black hulls of the vessels composing the French squadron, lay reposing at the base of a circular range of elevations, whose verdant sides, perforated with deep glens or diversified with smiling valleys, formed alto gether the loveliest view I ever beheld, and were I to live a hundred years, I should never forget the feeling of admiration which I then experienced. CHAPTER VII THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS MY curiosity had been not a little raised with regard to the description of country we should meet on the other side of the mountains; and I had supposed, with Toby, that immediately on gaining the heights we should be enabled to view the large bays of Happar and Typee reposing at our feet on one side, in the same way that Nukuheva lay spread out below on the other. But here we were disappointed. Instead of finding the moun tain we had ascended sweeping down in the opposite direction into broad and capacious valleys, the land appeared to retain its general elevation, only broken in to a series of ridges and intervales, which as far as the eye could reach stretched away from us, with their pre cipitous sides covered with the brightest verdure, and waving here and there with the foliage of clumps of woodland among which, however, we perceived none of those trees upon whose fruit we had relied with such certainty. This was a most unlooked-for discovery, and one that promised to defeat our plans altogether, for we could not think of descending the mountain on the Nukuheva side in quest of food. Should we for this purpose be in duced to retrace our steps, we should run no small chance of encountering the natives, who in that case, if they did nothing worse to us, would be certain to con vey us back to the ship for the sake of the reward in 50 OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 51 calico and trinkets which we had no doubt our skipper would hold out to them as an inducement to our capture. What was to be done? The Dolly would not sail perhaps for ten days, and how were we to sustain life during this period? I bitterly repented our improvi dence in not providing ourselves, as we easily might have done, with a supply of biscuit. With a rueful vis age I now bethought me of the scanty handful v of bread I had stuffed into the bosom of my frock, and felt some what desirous to ascertain what part if it had weathered the rather rough usage it had experienced in ascending the mountain. I accordingly proposed to Toby that we should enter into a joint examination of the various ar ticles we had brought from the ship. With this intent we seated ourselves upon the grass; and a little curious to see with what kind of judgment my companion had filled his frock which I remarked seemed about as well lined as my own I requested him to commence operations by spreading out its contents. Thrusting his hand, then, into the bosom of this capa cious receptacle, he first brought to light a pound of tobacco, whose component parts still adhered together, the whole outside being covered with soft particles of sea-bread. Wet and dripping, it had the appearance of having been just recovered from the bottom of the sea. But I paid slight attention to a substance of so little value to us in our present situation, as soon as I per ceived the indications it gave of Toby s foresight in lay ing in a supply of food for the expedition. I eagerly inquired what quantity he had brought with him, when, rummaging once more beneath his garment, he produced a small handful of something so soft, pulpy, and discoloured that for a few moments he was as much puzzled as myself to tell by what possible instrumen- 52 TYPEE tality such a villainous compound had become engen dered in his bosom. I can only describe it as a hash of soaked bread and bits of tobacco, brought to a doughy consistency by the united agency of perspiration and rain. But repulsive as it might otherwise have been, I now regarded it as an invaluable treasure, and proceeded with great care to transfer this paste-like mass to a large leaf which I had plucked from a bush beside me. Toby informed me that in the morning he had placed two whole biscuits in his bosom, with a view of munching them, should he feel so inclined, during our flight. These were now reduced to the equivocal substance which I had just placed on the leaf. Another dive into the frock brought to view some four or five yards of calico print, whose tasteful pattern was rather disfigured by the yellow stains of the tobacco with which it had been brought in contact. In drawing this calico slowly from his bosom inch by inch, Toby reminded me of a juggler performing the feat of the endless ribbon. The next cast was a small one, being a sailor s little "ditty-bag," containing needles, thread, and other sewing utensils; then came a razor-case, fol lowed by two or three separate plugs of negro-head, which were fished up from the bottom of the now empty recep tacle. These various matters being inspected, I pro duced the few things that I had myself brought. As might have been anticipated from the state of my companion s edible supplies, I found my own in a de plorable condition, and diminished to a quantity that would not have formed half a dozen mouthfuls for a hungry man who was partial enough to tobacco not to mind swallowing it. A few morsels of bread, with a fathom or two of white cotton cloth, and several pounds of choice pigtail, composed the extent of my possessions. OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 53 Our joint stock of miscellaneous articles was now made up into a compact bundle, which it was agreed we should carry alternately. .But the sorry remains of the biscuit were not to be disposed of so summarily ; the precarious circumstances in which we were placed made us regard them as something on which very probably depended the fate of our adventure. After a brief dis cussion, in which we both of us expressed our resold tion of not descending into the bay until the ship s departure, I suggested to my companion that little of it as there was, we should divide the bread into six equal portions, each of which should be a day s allowance for both of us. This proposition he assented to; so I took the silk kerchief from my neck, and cutting it with my knife into half a dozen equal pieces, proceeded to make an exact division. At first, Toby, with a degree of fastidiousness that seemed to me ill-timed, was for picking out the minute particles of tobacco with which the spongy mass was mixed; but against this proceeding I protested, as by such an operation we must have greatly diminished its quantity. When the division was accomplished, we found that a day s allowance for the two was not a great deal more than what a table-spoon might hold. Each separate por tion we immediately rolled up in the bit of silk pre pared for it, and joining them all together into a small package, I committed them, with solemn injunctions of fidelity, to the custody of Toby. For the remainder of that day we resolved to fast, as we had been fortified by a breakfast in the morning; and now starting again to our feet, we looked about us for a shelter during the night, which, from the appearance of the heavens, prom ised to be a dark and tempestuous one. 54 TYPEE There was no place near us which would in any way answer our purpose; so turning our backs upon Nuku- heva, we commenced exploring the unknown regions which lay upon the other side of the mountain. In this direction, as far as our vision extended, not a sign of life, nor anything that denoted even the transient residence of man, could be seen. The whole landscape seemed one unbroken solitude, the interior of the island having apparently been untenanted since the morning of the creation; and as we advanced through this wil derness, our voices sounded strangely in our ears, as though human accents had never before disturbed the fearful silence of the place, interrupted only by the low murmurings of distant waterfalls. Our disappointment, however, in not finding the va rious fruits with which we had intended to regale our selves during our stay in these wilds was a good deal lessened by the consideration that from this very cir cumstance we should be much less exposed to a casual meeting with the savage tribes about us, who we knew always dwelt beneath the shadows of those trees which supplied them with food. We wandered along, casting eager glances into every bush we passed, until just as we had succeeded in mount ing one of the many ridges that intersected the ground, I saw in the grass before me something like an indistinctly traced footpath, which appeared to lead along the top of the ridge, and to descend with it into a deep ravine about half a mile in advance of us. Robinson Crusoe could not have been more startled at the footprint in the sand than we were at this unwel come discovery. My first impulse was to make as rapid a retreat as possible and bend our steps in some other direction; but our curiosity to see whither this path OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 55 might lead prompted us to pursue it. So on we went, the track becoming more and more visible the farther we proceeded, until it conducted us to the verge of the ravine, where it abruptly terminated. "And so," said Toby, peering down into the chasm, "every one that travels this path takes a jump here, eh?" "Not so," said I, "for I think they might manage to descend without it; what say you shall we attempt the feat?" "And what, in the name of caves and coal-holes, do you expect to find at the bottom of that gulf but a broken neck? Why, it looks blacker than our ship s hold, and the roar of those waterfalls down there would batter one s brains to pieces." "Oh, no, Toby," I exclaimed, laughing; "but there s something to be seen here, that s plain, or there would have been no path, and I am resolved to find out what it is." "I will tell you what, my pleasant fellow," rejoined Toby quickly, "if you are going to pry into everything you meet with here that excites your curiosity, you will marvellously soon get knocked on the head; to a dead certainty you will come bang upon a party of these sav ages in the midst of your discovery-makings, and I doubt whether such an event would particularly delight you. Just take my advice for once, and let us bout ship and steer in some other direction; besides, it s getting late, and we ought to be mooring ourselves for the night." "That is just the thing I have been driving at," re plied I; "and I am thinking that this ravine will exactly answer our purpose, for it is roomy, secluded, well watered, and may shelter us from the weather." "Aye, and from sleep too, and by the same token will 56 TYPEE give us sore throats and rheumatisms into the bargain/ cried Toby with evident dislike at the idea. "Oh, very well then, my lad," said I, "since you will not accompany me, here I go alone. You will see me in the morning;" and advancing to the edge of the cliff upon which we had been standing, I proceeded to lower myself down by the tangled roots which clustered about all the crevices of the rock. As I had anticipated, Toby, in spite of his previous remonstrances, followed my ex ample, and dropping himself with the activity of a squir rel from point to point, he quickly outstripped me, and effected a landing at the bottom before I had accom plished two-thirds of the descent. The sight that now greeted us was one that will ever be vividly impressed upon my mind. Five foaming streams, rushing through as many gorges, and swelled and turbid by the recent rains, united together in one mad plunge of nearly eighty feet, and fell with wild uproar into a deep black pool scooped out of the gloomy- looking rocks that lay piled around, and thence in one collected body dashed down a narrow sloping channel which seemed to penetrate into the very bowels of the earth. Overhead, vast roots of trees hung down from the sides of the ravine dripping with moisture, and trem bling with the concussions produced by the fall. It was now sunset, and the feeble uncertain light that found its way into these caverns and woody depths heightened their strange appearance, and reminded us that in a short time we should find ourselves in utter darkness. As soon as I had satisfied my curiosity by gazing at this scene, I fell to wondering how it was that what we had taken for a path should have conducted us to so singular a place, and began to suspect that after all I might have been deceived in supposing it to have been OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 57 a track formed by the islanders. This was rather an agreeable reflection than otherwise, for it diminished our dread of accidentally meeting with any of them, and ;I came to the conclusion that perhaps we could not have selected a more secure hiding-place than this very spot we had so accidentally hit upon. Toby agreed with me :in this view of the matter, and we immediately began gathering together the limbs of trees which lay scattered about, with the view of constructing a temporary hut for the night. This we were obliged to build close to i the foot of the cataract, for the current of water ex tended very nearly to the sides of the gorge. The few moments of light that remained we employed in cover ing our hut with a species of broad-bladed grass that grew in every fissure of the ravine. Our hut, if it de served to be called one, consisted of six or eight of the straightest branches we could find laid obliquely against ithe steep wall of rock, with their lower ends within a foot of the stream. Into the space thus covered over we managed to crawl, and dispose our wearied bodies as best we could. Shall I ever forget that horrid night? As for poor Toby, I could scarcely get a word out of him. It would have been some consolation to have heard his voice, but he lay shivering the livelong night like a man afflicted with the palsy, with his knees drawn up to his head, while his back was supported against the dripping side of the rock. During this wretched night there seemed nothing wanting to complete the perfect misery of our condition. The rain descended in such torrents that our poor shelter proved a mere mockery. In vain did I try to elude the incessant streams that poured upon me; by protecting one part I only exposed another, and the water was continually finding some new opening through which to drench us. 58 TYPEE I have had many a ducking in the course of my life, and in general care little about it; but the accumulated horrors of that night, the deathlike coldness of the place, the appalling darkness, and the dismal sense of our for lorn condition almost unmanned me. It will not be doubted that the next morning we were early risers, and as soon as I could catch the faintest glimpse of anything like daylight I shook my compan ion by the arm, and told him it was sunrise. Poor Toby lifted up his head, and after a moment s pause said, in a husky voice, "Then, shipmate, my toplights have gone out, for it appears darker now with my eyes open than it did when they were shut." "Nonsense!" exclaimed I; "you are not awake yet/ "Awake!" roared Toby in a rage, "awake! You mean to insinuate I ve been asleep, do you? It is an insult to a man to suppose he could sleep in such an in fernal place as this." By the time I had apologized to my friend for having misconstrued his silence, it had become somewhat more light, and we crawled out of our lair. The rain had ceased, but everything around us was dripping with moisture. We stripped off our saturated garments, and wrung them as dry as we could. We contrived to make the blood circulate in our benumbed limbs by rubbing them vigorously with our hands; and after performing our ablutions in the stream, and putting on our still wet clothes, we began to think it advisable to break our long fast, it being now twenty-four hours since we had tasted food. Accordingly our day s ration was brought out, and seating ourselves on a detached fragment of rock, we proceeded to discuss it. First we divided it into two equal portions, and carefully rolling one of them up for OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 59 our evening s repast, divided the remainder again as equally as possible, and then drew lots for the first choice. I could have placed the morsel that fell to my share upon the tip of my finger; but notwithstanding this I took care that it should be full ten minutes before I had swallowed the last crumb. What a true saying it is that "appetite furnishes the best sauce." There was a flavour and a relish to this small particle of food that under other circumstances it would have been impossible for the most delicate viands to have imparted. A copious draught of the pure water which flowed at our feet served to complete the meal, and after it we rose sen sibly refreshed, and prepared for whatever might be fall us. We now carefully examined the chasm in which we had passed the night. We crossed the stream, and gaining the further side of the pool I have mentioned, discovered proofs that the spot must have been visited by some one but a short time previous to our arrival. Further observation convinced us that it had been regularly frequented, and, as we afterwards conjectured from particular indications, for the purpose of obtaining a certain root from which the natives obtain a kind of ointment. These discoveries immediately determined us to aban don a place which had presented no inducement for us to remain except the promise of security; and as we looked about us for the means of ascending again into the upper regions, we at last found a practicable part of the rock, and half an hour s toil carried us to the summit of the same cliff from which the preceding evening we had descended. I now proposed to Toby that instead of rambling about the island, exposing ourselves to discovery at 60 TYPEE every turn, we should select some place as our fixed abode for as long a period as our food should hold out, build ourselves a comfortable hut, and be as prudent and circumspect as possible. To all this my companion assented, and we at once set about carrying the plan into execution. With this view, after exploring without success a little glen near us, we crossed several of the ridges of which I have before spoken, and about noon found our selves ascending a long and gradually rising slope, but still without having discovered any place adapted to our purpose. Low and heavy clouds betokened an approach ing storm, and we hurried on to gain a covert in a clump of thick bushes which appeared to terminate the long ascent. We threw ourselves under the lee of these bushes, and pulling up the long grass that grew around, covered ourselves completely with it and awaited the shower. But it did not come as soon as we had expected, and before many minutes my companion was fast asleep, and I was rapidly falling into the same state of happy for- getfulness. Just at this juncture, however, down came the rain with a violence that put all thoughts of slumber to flight. Although in some measure sheltered, our clothes soon became as wet as ever: this, after all the trouble we had taken to dry them, was provoking enough: but there was no help for it, and I recommend all adventurous youths who abandon vessels in romantic islands during the rainy season to provide themselves with umbrellas. After an hour or so the shower passed away. My companion slept through it all, or at least appeared so to do; and now that it was over I had not the heart to awaken him. As I lay on my back completely shrouded OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS 61 with verdure, the leafy branches drooping over me, and my limbs buried in grass, I could not avoid comparing our situation with that of the interesting babes in the wood. Poor little sufferers! no wonder their con stitutions broke down under the hardships to which they were exposed. During the hour or two spent under the shelter of these bushes, I began to feel symptoms which I at once attributed to the exposure of the preceding night. Cold shiverings and a burning fever succeeded one another at intervals, while one of my legs was swelled to such a degree, and pained me so acutely, that I half suspected I had been bitten by some venomous reptile, the con genial inhabitant of the chasm from which we had lately emerged. I may here remark by the way what I sub sequently learned that all the islands of Polynesia en joy the reputation, in common with the Hibernian isle, of being free from the presence of any vipers; though whether Saint Patrick ever visited them is a question I shall not attempt to decide. As the feverish sensation increased upon me, I tossed about, still unwilling to disturb my slumbering com panion, from whose side I removed two or three yards. I chanced to push aside a branch, and by so doing suddenly disclosed to my view a scene which even now I can recall with all the vividness of the first impression. Had a glimpse of the gardens of Paradise been revealed to me I could scarcely have been more ravished with the sight. From the spot where I lay transfixed with surprise and delight, I looked straight down into the bosom of a valley, which swept away in long wavy undulations to the blue waters in the distance. Midway towards the sea, and peering here and there amidst the foliage, 62 TYPEE might be seen the palmetto-thatched houses of its in habitants glistening in the sun that had bleached them to a dazzling whiteness. The vale was more than three leagues in width, and about a mile across at its greatest width. On either side it appeared hemmed in by steep and green acclivities, which, uniting near the spot where I lay, formed an abrupt and semicircular termination of grassy cliffs and precipices hundreds of feet in height, over which flowed numberless small cascades. But the crowning beauty of the prospect was its universal ver dure; and in this indeed consists, I believe, the pecul iar charm of every Polynesian landscape. Everywhere below me, from the base of the precipice upon whose very verge I had been unconsciously reposing, the sur face of the vale presented a mass of foliage, spread with such rich profusion that it was impossible to deter mine of what description of trees it consisted. But perhaps there was nothing about the scenery I beheld more impressive than those silent cascades, whose slender threads of water, after leaping down the steep cliffs, were lost amidst the rich herbage of the valley. Over all the landscape there reigned the most hushed repose, which I almost feared to break lest, like the enchanted gardens in the fairy tale, a single syllable might dissolve the spell. For a long time, forgetful alike of my own situation and the vicinity of my still slumbering companion, I remained gazing around me, hardly able to comprehend by what means I had thus suddenly been made a spectator of such a scene. CHAPTER VIII JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY RECOVERING from my astonishment at the beautiful scene before me, I quickly awakened Toby and informed him of the discovery I had made. Together we now repaired to the border of the precipice, and my com panion s admiration was equal to my own. A little reflection, however, abated our surprise at coming so unexpectedly upon this valley, since the large vales of Happar and Typee, lying upon this side of Nukuheva and extending a considerable distance from the sea towards the interior, must necessarily terminate some where about this point. The question now was which of those two places we were looking down upon. Toby insisted that it was the abode of the Happars, and I that it was tenanted by their enemies the ferocious Typees. To be sure I was not entirely convinced by my own arguments, but Toby s proposition to descend at once into the valley and partake of the hospitality of its inmates seemed to me to be risking so much upon the strength of a mere suspicion that I resolved to oppose it until we had more evidence to proceed upon. The point was one of vital importance, as the natives of Happar were not only at peace with Nukuheva, but cultivated with its inhabitants the most friendly rela tions, and enjoyed besides a reputation for gentleness and humanity which led us to expect from them, if not 63 64 TYPEE a cordial reception, at least a shelter during the short period we should remain in their territory. On the other hand, the very name of Typee struck a panic into my heart which I did not attempt to dis guise. The thought of voluntarily throwing ourselves into the hands of these cruel savages seemed to me an act of mere madness; and almost equally so the idea of venturing into the valley, uncertain by which of these two tribes it was inhabited. That the vale at our feet was tenanted by one of them was a point that appeared to us past all doubt, since we knew that they resided in this quarter, although our information did not enlighten us further. My companion, however, incapable of resisting the tempting prospect which the place held out of an abun dant supply of food and other means of enjoyment, still clung to his own inconsiderate view of the subject, nor could all my reasoning shake it. When I reminded him that it was impossible for either of us to know any thing with certainty, and when I dwelt upon the terri ble fate we should encounter were we rashly to descend into the valley and discover too late the error we had committed, he replied by detailing all the evils of our present condition and the sufferings we must undergo should we continue to remain where we then were. Anxious to draw him away from the subject, if pos sible for I saw that it would be in vain to attempt changing his mind I directed his attention to a long bright unwooded tract of land which, sweeping down from the elevations in the interior, descended into the valley before us. I then suggested to him that beyond this ridge might lie a capacious and untenanted valley, abounding with all manner of delicious fruits; for I had heard that there were several such upon the island, JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY 65 and proposed that we should endeavour to reach it, and if we found our expectations realised we should at once take refuge in it and remain there as long as we pleased. He acquiesced in the suggestion; and we immediately, therefore, began surveying the country lying before us, with a view of determining upon the best route for us to pursue; but it presented little choice, the whole in terval being broken into steep ridges, divided by dark ravines, extending in parallel lines at right angles to our direct course. All these we would be obliged to cross before we could hope to arrive at our destination. A weary journey! But we decided to undertake it, though, for my own part, I felt little prepared to encounter its fatigues, shivering and burning by turns with the ague and fever for I know not how else to describe the alternate sensations I experienced and suf fering not a little from the lameness which afflicted me. Added to this was the faintness consequent on our meagre diet a calamity in which Toby participated to the same extent as myself. These circumstances, however, only augmented my anxiety to reach a place which promised us plenty and repose before I should be reduced to a state which would render me altogether unable to perform the journey. Accordingly we now commenced it by descending the almost perpendicular side of a steep and narrow gorge, bristling with a thick growth of reeds. Here there was but one mode for us to adopt. We seated ourselves upon the ground, and guided our descent by catching at the canes in our path. The velocity with which we thus slid down the side of the ravine soon brought us to a point where we could use our feet, and in a short time we arrived at the edge of the torrent, which rolled im petuously along the bed of the chasm. 66 TYPEE After taking a refreshing draught from the water of the stream, we addressed ourselves to a much more dif ficult undertaking than the last. Every foot of our later descent had to be regained in ascending the oppo site side of the gorge an operation rendered the less agreeable from the consideration that in these perpendic ular episodes we did not progress an hundred yards on our journey. But, ungrateful as the task was, we set about it with exemplary patience, and after a snail-like progress of an hour or more, had scaled perhaps one- half of the distance, when the fever which had left me for a while returned with such violence, and accom panied by so raging a thirst, that it required all the entreaties of Toby to prevent me from losing all the fruits of my late expedition by precipitating myself madly down the cliffs we had just climbed in quest of the water which flowed so temptingly at their base. At the moment all my hopes and fears appeared to be merged in this one desire, careless of the consequences that might result from its gratification. I am aware of no feeling, either of pleasure or of pain, that so completely deprives one of all power to resist its impulses as this same raging thirst. Toby earnestly conjured me to continue the ascent, assuring me that a little more exertion would bring us to the summit, and that then in less than five minutes we should find ourselves at the brink of the stream which must necessarily flow on the other side of the ridge. "Do not," he exclaimed, "turn back, now that we have proceeded thus far; for I tell you that neither of us will have the courage to repeat the attempt if once more we find ourselves looking up to where we now are from the bottom of these rocks!" JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY 67 I was not yet so perfectly beside myself as to be heed less of these representations, and therefore toiled on, in effectually endeavouring to appease the thirst which consumed me by thinking that in a short time I should be able to gratify it to my heart s content. At last we gained the top of the second elevation, the loftiest of those I have described as extending in parallel lines between us and the valley we desired to reach. It commanded a view of the whole intervening distance; and, discouraged as I was by other circum stances, this prospect plunged me into the very depths of despair. Nothing but dark and fearful chasms, sepa rated by sharp crested and perpendicular ridges as far as the eye could reach. Could we have stepped from summit to summit of these steep but narrow elevations we could easily have accomplished the distance; but we must penetrate to the bottom of every yawning gulf, and scale in succession every one of the eminences before us. Even Toby, although not suffering as I did, was not proof against the disheartening influences of the sight. But we did not long stand to contemplate it, im patient as I was to reach the waters of the torrent which flowed beneath us. With an insensibility to dan ger which I cannot call to mind without shuddering, we threw ourselves down the depths of the ravine, startling its savage solitudes with the echoes produced by the falling fragments of rock we every moment dis lodged from their places, careless of the insecurity of our footing, and reckless whether the slight roots and twigs we clutched at sustained us for the while, or treacherously yielded to our grasp. For my own part, I scarcely knew whether I was hopelessly falling from the heights above, or whether the fearful rapidity with which I descended was an act of my own volition. 68 TYPEE In a few minutes we reached ~the foot of the gorge, and kneeling upon a small ledge of dripping rocks, I bent over to the stream. What a delicious sensation was I now to experience! I paused for a second to con centrate all my capabilities of enjoyment, and then im- merged my lips in the clear element before me. Had the apples of Sodom turned to ashes in my mouth, I could not have felt a more startling revulsion. A single drop of the cold fluid seemed to freeze every drop of blood in my body; the fever that had been burning in my veins gave place on the instant to death-like chills, which shook me one after another like so many shocks of electricity, while the perspiration produced by my late violent exertions congealed in icy beads upon my fore head. My thirst was gone, and I fairly loathed the water. Starting to my feet, the sight of those dank rocks oozing forth moisture at every crevice, and the dark stream shooting along its dismal channel, sent fresh chills through my shivering frame, and I felt as uncontrollable a desire to climb up towards the genial sunlight as I before had to descend the ravine. After two hours perilous exertions we stood upon the summit of another ridge, and it was with difficulty I could bring myself to believe that we had ever pene trated the black and yawning chasm which then gaped at our feet. Again we gazed upon the prospect which the height commanded, but it was just as depressing as the one which had before met our eyes. I now felt that in our present situation it was in vain for us to think of ever overcoming the obstacles in our way, and I gave up all thoughts of reaching the vale which lay beyond this series of impediments, while at the same time I could not devise any scheme to extricate ourselves from the difficulties in which we were involved. JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY 69 The remotest idea of returning to Nukuheva, unless assured of our vessel s departure, never once entered my mind, and indeed it was questionable whether we could have succeeded in reaching it, divided as we were from the bay by a distance we could not compute, and perplexed too in our remembrance of localities by our recent wanderings. Besides, it was unendurable to think of retracing our steps and rendering all our pain ful exertions of no avail. There is scarcely anything when a man is in difficul ties that he is more disposed to look upon with abhor rence than a right-about retrograde movement a systematic going-over of the already trodden ground ; and especially if he has a love of adventure, such a course appears indescribably repulsive, so long as there remains the least hope to be derived from braving untried diffi culties. It was this feeling that prompted us to descend the opposite side of the elevation we had just scaled, al though with what definite object in view it would have been impossible for either of us to tell. Without exchanging a syllable upon the subject, Toby and myself simultaneously renounced the design which had lured us thus far perceiving in each other s coun tenances that desponding expression which speaks more eloquently than words. Together we stood towards the close of this weary day in the cavity of the third gorge we had entered, wholly incapacitated for any further exertion until restored to some degree of strength by food and repose. We seated ourselves upon the least uncomfortable spot we could select, and Toby produced from the bosom of his frock the sacred package. In silence we partook of the small morsel of refreshment that had been left 70 TYPEE from the morning s repast, and without once proposing to violate the sanctity of our engagement with respect to the remainder, we rose to our feet and proceeded to construct some sort of shelter under which we might ob tain the sleep we so greatly needed. Fortunately the spot was better adapted to our pur pose than the one in which we had passed the last wretched night. We cleared away the tall reeds from a small but almost level bit of ground, and twisted them into a low basket-like hut, which we covered with a profusion of long thick leaves, gathered from a tree near at hand. We disposed them thickly all around, reserving only a slight opening that barely permitted us to crawl under the shelter we had thus obtained. These deep recesses, though protected from the winds that assail the summits of their lofty sides, are damp and chill to a degree that one would hardly anticipate in such a climate; and being unprovided with anything but our woollen frocks and thin duck trousers to resist the cold of the place, we were the more solicitous to render our habitation for the night as comfortable as we could. Accordingly, in addition to what we had already done, we plucked down all the leaves within our reach and threw them in a heap over our little hut, into which we now crept, raking after us a reserve supply to form our couch. That night nothing but the pain I suffered prevented me from sleeping most refreshingly. As it was, I caught two or three naps, while Toby slept away at my side as soundly as though he had been sandwiched between two Holland sheets. Luckily it did not rain, and we were preserved from the misery which a heavy shower would have occasioned us. In the morning I was awakened by the sonorous voice JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY 71 of my companion ringing in my ears and bidding me rise. I crawled out from our heap of leaves, and was aston ished at the change which a good night s rest had wrought in his appearance. He was as blithe and joyous as a young bird, and was staying the keenness of his morn ing s appetite by chewing the soft bark of a delicate branch he held in his hand, and he recommended the like to me as an admirable antidote against the gnawings of hunger. For my own part, though feeling materially better than I had done the preceding evening, I could not look at the limb that had pained me so violently at inter vals during the last twenty-four hours without experi encing a sense of alarm that I strove in vain to shake off. Unwilling to disturb the flow of my comrade s spirits, I managed to stifle the complaints to which I might otherwise have given vent, and calling upon him good- humouredly to speed our banquet, I prepared myself for it by washing in the stream. This operation concluded, we swallowed, or rather absorbed, by a peculiar kind of slow sucking process, our respective morsels of nourish ment, and then entered into a discussion as to the steps iit was necessary for us to pursue. "What s to be done now?" inquired I, rather dolefully. "Descend into that same valley we descried yester day," rejoined Toby, with a rapidity and loudness of utterance that almost led me to suspect he had been slyly devouring the broadside of an ox in some of the adjoining thickets. "What else," he continued, "re mains for us to do but that, to be sure? Why, we shall both starve to a certainty if we remain here; and as to your fears of those Typees depend upon it, it is all nonsense. "It is impossible that the inhabitants of such a lovely 72 TYPEE place as we saw can be anything else but good fellows; and if you choose rather to perish with hunger in one of these soppy caverns, I for one prefer to chance a bold descent into the valley, and risk the consequences." "And who is to pilot us thither," I asked, "even if we should decide upon the measure you propose? Are we to go again up and down those precipices that we crossed yesterday, until we reach the place we started from, and then take a flying leap from the cliffs to the valley?" " Faith, I didn t think of that," said Toby; "sure enough, both sides of the valley appeared to be hemmed in by precipices, didn t they?" "Yes," answered I, "as steep as the sides of a line-of- battle ship, and about a hundred times as high." My companion sank his head upon his breast and remained for awhile in deep thought. Suddenly he sprang to his feet, while his eyes lighted up with that gleam of intelligence that marks the presence of some bright idea. "Yes, yes," he exclaimed; "the streams all run in the same direction, and must necessarily flow into the valley before they reach the sea; all we have to do is just to follow this stream, and sooner or later it will lead us into the vale." "You are right, Toby," I exclaimed, "you are right; it must conduct us thither, and quickly too; for see with what a steep inclination the water descends." "It does, indeed," burst forth my companion, over joyed at my verification of his theory; "it does indeed; why, it is as plain as a pike-staff. Let us proceed at once ; come, throw away all those stupid ideas about the Ty- pees, and hurrah for the lovely valley of the Happars!" "You will have it to be Happar, I see, my dear fellow; pray Heaven you may not find yourself deceived," observed I, with a shake of my head. JOURNEY TOWARDS THE VALLEY 73 "Amen to all that, and much more," shouted Toby, rushing forward; "but Happar it is, for nothing else than Happar can it be. So glorious a valley such forests of bread-fruit trees such groves of cocoa-nut such wildernesses of guava-bushes! Ah, shipmate! don t linger behind: in the name of all delightful fruits, I am dying to be at them. Come on, come on; shove ahead, there s a lively lad; never mind the rocks; kick them out of the way, as I do; and to-morrow, old fellow, take my word for it, we shall be in clover. Come on;" and so saying, he dashed along the ravine like a mad man, forgetting my inability to keep up with him. In a few minutes, however, the exuberance of his spirits abated, and, pausing for a while, he permitted me to overtake him. CHAPTER IX FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO THE RAVINE THE fearless confidence of Toby was contagious, and I began to adopt the Happar side of the question. I could not, however, overcome a certain feeling of trepi dation as we made our way along these gloomy soli tudes. Our progress, at first comparatively easy, became more and more difficult. The bed of the watercourse was covered with fragments of broken rocks, which had fallen from above, offering so many obstructions to the course of the rapid stream, which vexed and fretted about them forming at intervals small waterfalls, pour ing over into deep basins, or splashing wildly upon heaps of stones. From the narrowness of the gorge and the steepness of its sides, there was no mode of advancing but by wading through the water, stumbling every moment over the impediments which lay hidden under its sur face or tripping against the huge roots of trees. But the most annoying hindrance we encountered was from a multitude of crooked boughs which, shooting out almost horizontally from the sides of the chasm, twisted themselves together in fantastic masses almost to the surface of the stream, affording us no passage except under the low arches which they formed. Under these we were obliged to crawl on our hands and feet, sliding along the oozy surface of the rocks, or slipping into the deep pools, and with scarce light enough to guide us. 74 FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO RAVINE 75 Occasionally we would strike our heads against some projecting limb of a tree, and while imprudently engaged in rubbing the injured part, would fall sprawling amongst flinty fragments, cutting and bruising ourselves, whilst the unpitying waters flowed over our prostrate bodies. Belzoni, worming himself through the subterranean pass ages of the Egyptian catacombs, could not have met with greater impediments than those we here encountered. But we struggled against them manfully, well knowing our only hope lay in advancing. Towards sunset we halted at a spot where we made preparations for passing the night. Here we constructed a hut, in much the same way as before, and crawling into it, endeavoured to forget our sufferings. My companion, I believe, slept pretty soundly; but at daybreak, when we rolled out of our dwelling, I felt nearly disqualified for any further efforts. Toby prescribed as a remedy for my illness the contents of one of our little silk pack ages, to be taken at once in a single dose. To this species of medical treatment, however, I would by no means accede, much as he insisted upon it ; and so we partook of our usual morsel and silently resumed our journey. It was now the fourth day since we left Nukuheva, and the gnawings of hunger became painfully acute. We were fain to pacify them by chewing the tender bark of roots and twigs, which, if they did not afford us nourishment, were at least sweet and pleasant to the taste. Our progress along the steep watercourse was neces sarily slow, and by noon we had not advanced more than a mile. It was somewhere near this part of the day that the noise of falling waters, which we had faintly caught in the early morning, became more dis tinct; and it was not long before we were arrested by a rocky precipice of nearly a hundred feet in depth, 76 TYPEE that extended all across the channel, and over which the wild stream poured in an unbroken leap. On either hand the walls of the ravine presented their overhanging sides both above and below the fall, affording no means whatever of avoiding the cataract by taking a circuit round it. "What s to be done now, Toby?" said I. "Why," rejoined he, "as we cannot retreat, I sup pose we must keep shoving along." "Very true, my dear Toby; but how do you propose accomplishing that desirable object?" "By jumping from the top of the fall, if there be no other way," unhesitatingly replied my companion; "it will be much the quickest way of descent; but as you are not quite as active as I am, we will try some other way." And, so saying, he crept cautiously along and peered over the abyss, while I remained wondering by what possible means we could overcome this apparently in superable obstruction. As soon as my companion had completed his survey, I eagerly inquired the result. "The result of my observations you wish to know, do you?" began Toby, deliberately, with one of his odd looks: "well, my lad, the result of my observations is very quickly imparted. It is at present uncertain which of our two necks will have the honour to be broken first ; but about a hundred to one would be a fair bet in favour of the man who takes the first jump." "Then it is an impossible thing, is it?" inquired I, gloomily. "No, shipmate; on the contrary, it is the easiest thing in life: the only awkward point is the sort of usage which our unhappy limbs may receive when we arrive at the bottom, and what sort of travelling trim FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO RAVINE 77 we shall be in afterwards. But follow me now, and I will show you the only chance we have." With this he conducted me to the verge of the cata ract, and pointed along the side of the ravine to a num ber of curious-looking roots, some three or four inches in thickness, and several feet long, which after twisting among the fissures of the rock, shot perpendicularly from it and ran tapering to a point in the air, hanging over the gulf like so many dark icicles. They covered nearly the entire surface of one side of the gorge, the lowest of them reaching even to the water. Many were moss- grown and decayed, with their extremities snapped short off, and those in the immediate vicinity of the fall were slippery with moisture. Toby s scheme, and it was a desperate one, was to in trust ourselves to these treacherous-looking roots, and by slipping down from one to another to gain the bot- tom. "Are you ready to venture it?" asked Toby, looking at me earnestly, but without saying a word as to the practicability of the plan. "I am," was my reply; for I saw it was our only re source if we wished to advance, and as for retreating, all thoughts of that sort had been long abandoned. After I had signified my assent, Toby, without utter ing a single word, crawled along the dripping ledge until he gained a point from whence he could just reach one of the largest of the pendent roots; he shook it it quivered in his grasp, and when he let it go it twanged in the air like a strong wire sharply struck. Satisfied by his scrutiny, my light-limbed companion swung him self nimbly upon it, and twisting his legs round it in sailor fashion, slipped down eight or ten feet, where his weight gave it a motion not unlike that of a pendulum. 78 TYPEE He could not venture to descend any further; so holding on with one hand, he with the other shook one by one all the slender roots around him, and at last, finding one which he thought trustworthy, shifted himself to it and continued his downward progress. So far so well; but I could not avoid comparing my heavier frame and disabled condition with his light fig ure and remarkable activity; but there was no help for it, and in less than a minute s time I was swinging directly over his head. As soon as his upturned eyes caught a glimpse of me, he exclaimed in his usual dry tone, for the danger did not seem to daunt him in the least, "Mate, do me the kindness not to fall until I get out of your way;" and then swinging himself more on one side, he continued his descent. In the mean time I cautiously transferred myself from the limb down which I had been slipping to a couple of others that were near it, deeming two strings to my bow better than one, and taking care to test their strength before I trusted my weight to them. On arriving towards the end of the second stage in this vertical journey, and shaking the long roots which were round me, to my consternation they snapped off one after another like so many pipe stems, and fell in fragments against the side of the gulf, splashing at last into the waters beneath. As one after another the treacherous roots yielded to my grasp and fell into the torrent, my heart sunk within me. The branches on which I was suspended over the yawning chasm swung to and fro in the air, and I ex pected them every moment to snap in twain. Appalled at the dreadful fate that menaced me, I clutched fran tically at the only large root which remained near me, but in vain; I could not reach it, though my fingers FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO RAVINE 79 were within a few inches of it. Again and again I tried to reach it, until at length, maddened with the thought of my situation, I swayed myself violently by striking my foot against the side of the rock, and at the instant that I approached the large root caught desperately at it, and transferred myself to it. It vibrated violently under the sudden weight, but fortunately did not give way. My brain grew dizzy with the idea of the frightful risk I had just run, and I involuntarily closed my eyes to shut out the view of the depth beneath me. For the instant I was safe, and I uttered a devout ejaculation of thanksgiving for my escape. "Pretty well done," shouted Toby underneath me; "you are nimbler than I thought you to be hopping about up there from root to root like any young squirrel. As soon as you have diverted yourself sufficiently, I would advise you to proceed." "Aye, aye, Toby, all in good time: two or three more such famous roots as this, and I shall be with you." The residue of my downward progress was compara tively easy; the roots were in greater abundance, and in one or two places jutting out points of rock assisted me greatly. In a few moments I was standing by the side of my companion. Substituting a stout stick for the one I had thrown aside at the top of the precipice, we now continued our course along the bed of the ravine. Soon we were sa luted by a sound in advance, that grew by degrees louder and louder, as the noise of the cataract we were leaving behind gradually died on our ears. "Another precipice for us, Toby." "Very good; we can descend them, you know 8o TYPEE Nothing indeed appeared to depress or intimidate this intrepid fellow. Typees or Niagaras, he was as ready to engage one as the other, and I could not avoid a thousand times congratulating myself upon having such a companion in an enterprise like the present. After an hour s painful progress we reached the verge of another fall, still loftier than the preceding, and flanked both above and below with the same steep masses of rock, presenting, however, here and there narrow irregular ledges, supporting a shallow soil, on which grew a variety of bushes and trees, whose bright verdure contrasted beautifully with the foamy waters that flowed between them. Toby, who invariably acted as pioneer, now proceeded to reconnoitre. On his return, he reported that the shelves of rock on our right would enable us to gain with little risk the bottom of the cataract. Accord ingly, leaving the bed of the stream at the very point where it thundered down, we began crawling along one of these sloping ledges until it carried us to within a few feet of another that inclined downward at a still sharper angle, and upon which, by assisting each other, we managed to alight in safety. We warily crept along this, steadying ourselves by the naked roots of the shrubs that clung to every fissure. As we proceeded, the narrow path became still more contracted, rendering it difficult for us to maintain our footing, until sud denly, as we reached an angle of the wall of rock where we had expected it to widen, we perceived to our con sternation that a yard or two farther on it abruptly ter minated at a place we could not possibly hope to pass. Toby as usual led the van, and in silence I waited to learn from him how he proposed to extricate us from this new difficulty. FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO RAVINE 81 "Well, my boy," I exclaimed, after the expiration of several minutes, during which time my companion had not uttered a word; "what s to be done now?" He replied in a tranquil tone that probably the best thing we could do in our present strait was to get out of it as soon as possible. "Yes, my dear Toby, but tell me how we are to get out of it." "Something in this sort of style," he replied; and at the same moment to my horror he slipped sideways off the rock, and as I then thought, by good fortune merely alighted among the spreading branches of a species of palm tree, that, shooting its hardy roots along a ledge below, curved its trunk upwards into the air, and presented a thick mass of foliage about twenty feet below the spot where we had thus suddenly been brought to a standstill. I involuntarily held my breath, ex pecting to see the form of my companion, after being sustained for a moment by the branches of the tree, sink through their frail support and fall headlong to the bottom. To my surprise and joy, however, he re covered himself, and disentangling his limbs from the fractured branches, he peered out from his leafy bed and shouted lustily, "Come on, my hearty; there is no other alternative!" and with this he ducked beneath the foli age, and slipping down the trunk, stood in a moment at least fifty feet beneath me, upon the broad shelf of rock from which sprang the tree he had descended. What would I not have given at that moment to have been by his side! The feat he had just accomplished seemed little less than miraculous, and I could hardly credit the evidence of my senses when I saw the wide distance that a single daring act had so suddenly placed between us, 82 TYPEE Toby s animating "Come on!" again sounded in my ears, and dreading to lose all confidence in myself if I remained meditating upon the step, I once more gazed down to assure myself of the relative bearing of the tree and my own position, and then closing my eyes and uttering one comprehensive ejaculation of prayer, I in clined myself over the abyss, and after one breathless instant fell with a crash into the tree, the branches snap ping and crackling with my weight, as I sunk lower and lower among them, until I was stopped by coming in contact with a sturdy limb. In a few moments I was standing at the foot of the tree, manipulating myself all over with a view of ascer taining the extent of the injuries I had received. To my surprise the only effects of my feat were a few slight con tusions too trifling to care about. The rest of our descent was easily accomplished, and in half an hour after re gaining the ravine we had partaken of our evening mor sel, built our hut as usual, and crawled under its shelter. The next morning, in spite of our debility and the agony of hunger under which we were now suffering, though neither of us confessed to the fact, we struggled along our dismal and still difficult and dangerous path, cheered by the hope of soon catching a glimpse of the valley before us, and towards evening the voice of a cataract which had for some time sounded like a low deep bass to the music of the smaller waterfalls broke upon our ears in still louder tones, and assured us that we were approaching its vicinity. That evening we stood on the brink of a precipice over which the dark stream bounded in one final leap of full three hundred feet. The sheer descent terminated in the region we so long had sought. On either side of the fall, two lofty and perpendicular bluffs buttressed FRIGHTFUL DESCENT TO RAVINE 83 the sides of the enormous cliff, and projected into the sea of verdure with which the valley waved, and a range of similar projecting eminences stood disposed in a half circle about the head of the vale. A thick canopy of trees hung over the very verge of the fall, leaving an arched aperture for the passage of the waters, which imparted a strange picturesqueness to the scene. The valley was now before us; but instead of being conducted into its smiling bosom by the gradual descent of the deep water-course we had thus far pursued, all our labours now appeared to have been rendered futile by its abrupt termination. But, bitterly disappointed, we did not entirely despair. As it was now near sunset we determined to pass the night where we were, and on the morrow, refreshed by sleep and by eating at one meal all our stock of food, to accomplish a descent into the valley or perish in the attempt. We laid ourselves down that night on a spot, the recollection of which still makes me shudder. A small table of rock which projected over the precipice on one side of the stream, and was drenched by the spray of the fall, sustained a huge trunk of a tree which must have been deposited there by some heavy freshet. It lay obliquely, with one end resting on the rock and the other supported by the side of the ravine. Against it we placed in a sloping direction a number of the half decayed boughs that were strewn about, and covering the whole with twigs and leaves, awaited the morning s light beneath such shelter as it afforded. During the whole of this night the continual roaring of the cataract, the dismal moaning of the gale through the trees, the pattering of the rain, and the profound darkness, affected my spirits to a degree which nothing had ever before produced. Wet, half famished, and 84 TYPEE chilled to the heart with the dampness of the place, and nearly wild with the pain I endured, I fairly cowered down to the earth under this multiplication of hardships, and abandoned myself to frightful anticipations of evil; and my companion, whose spirit at last was a good deal broken, scarcely uttered a word during the whole night. At length the day dawned upon us, and rising from our miserable pallet, we stretched our stiffened joints, and after eating all that remained of our bread, prepared for the last stage of our journey. I will not recount every hair-breadth escape, and every fearful difficulty that occurred before we succeeded in reaching the bosom of the valley. As I have already described similar scenes, it will be sufficient to say that at length, after great toil and great dangers, we both stood with no limbs broken at the head of that magnifi cent vale which five days before had so suddenly burst upon my sight, and almost beneath the shadows of those very cliffs from whose summits we had gazed upon the prospect. CHAPTER X TYPEE OR HAPPAR? TYPEE or Happar? A frightful death at the hands of the fiercest of cannibals, or a kindly reception from a gentler race of savages? Which? But it was too late now to discuss a question which would so soon be answered. How to obtain the fruit which we felt con vinced must grow near at hand was our first thought. The part of the valley in which we found ourselves ap peared to be altogether uninhabited. An almost im penetrable thicket extended from side to side, without presenting a single plant affording the nourishment we had confidently calculated upon. We followed the course of the stream, casting quick glances as we approached into the thick jungles on either hand. My companion to whose solicitations I had yielded in descending into the valley now that the step was taken, began to manifest a degree of caution I had little expected from him. He proposed that, in the event of our finding an adequate supply of fruit, we should re main in this unfrequented portion of the country where we should run little chance of being surprised by its occupants, whoever they might be until sufficiently recruited to resume our journey, when laying in a store of food equal to our wants, we might easily regain the bay of Nukuheva, after the lapse of a sufficient interval to ensure the departure of our vessel. I objected strongly to this proposition, plausible as 85 86 TYPEE it was, as the difficulties of the route would be almost insurmountable, unacquainted as we were with the gen eral bearings of the country, and I reminded my com panion of the hardships which we had already encoun tered in our uncertain wanderings; in a word, I said that since we had deemed it advisable to enter the val ley, we ought manfully to face the consequences, what ever they might be, the more especially as I was con vinced there was no alternative left us but to fall in with the natives at once, and boldly risk the reception they might give us: and that as to myself, I felt the necessity of rest and shelter, and that until I had ob tained them I should be wholly unable to encounter such sufferings as we had lately passed through. To the justice of these observations Toby somewhat reluc tantly assented. We were surprised that, after moving as far as we had along the valley, we should still meet with the same impervious thickets, and thinking that although the borders of the stream might be lined for some dis tance with them, yet beyond there might be more open ground, I requested Toby to keep a bright look-out upon one side, while I did the same on the other, in order to discover some opening in the bushes, and espe cially to watch for the slightest appearance of a path or anything else that might indicate the vicinity of the islanders. What furtive and anxious glances we cast into those dim-looking shades! With what apprehensions we pro ceeded, ignorant at what moment we might be greeted by the javelin of some ambushed savage! At last my companion paused, and directed my attention to a nar row opening in the foliage. We struck into it and it soon brought us, by an indistinctly traced path, to a TYPEE OR HAPPAR? 87 comparatively clear space, at the further end of which we descried a number of trees, the native name of which is "annuee," and which bear a most delicious fruit. What a race! I hobbling over the ground like some decrepit wretch, and Toby leaping forward like a grey hound. He quickly cleared one of the trees on which there were two or three of the fruit, but to our chagrin they proved to be much decayed, the rinds partly opened by the birds, and their hearts half devoured. However, we quickly despatched them, and no ambrosia could have been more delicious. We looked about us, uncertain whither to direct our steps, since the path we had so far followed appeared to be lost in the open space around us. At last we re solved to enter a grove near at hand, and had advanced a few rods when, just upon its skirts, I picked up a slender bread-fruit shoot, perfectly green, and with the tender bark freshly stript from it. It was still slippery with moisture, and appeared as if it had been but that moment thrown aside. I said nothing, but merely held it up to Toby, who started at this undeniable evidence of the vicinity of the savages. The plot was now thickening. A short distance further lay a little fagot of the same shoots bound together with a strip of bark. Could it have been thrown down by some solitary native who, alarmed at seeing us. had hurried forward to carry the tidings of our approach to his countrymen? Typee or Happar? But it was too late to recede, so we moved on slowly, my companion in advance, casting eager glances under the trees on either side, until all at once I saw him recoil as if stung by an adder. Sinking on his knee, he waved me off with one hand, while with the other he held aside some intervening leaves and gazed intently at some object. 88 TYPEE Disregarding his injunction, I quickly approached him, and caught a glimpse of two figures partly hidden by the dense foliage; they were standing close together, and were perfectly motionless. They must have pre viously perceived us, and withdrawn into the depths of the wood to elude our observation. My mind was at once made up. Dropping my staff, and tearing open the package of things we had brought from the ship, I unrolled the cotton cloth, and holding it in one hand, plucked with the other a twig from the bushes beside me, and telling Toby to follow my ex ample, I broke through the covert and advanced, waving the branch in token of peace, towards the shrinking forms before me. They were a boy and girl, slender and graceful, and completely naked, with the exception of a slight girdle of bark, from which depended at opposite points two of the russet leaves of the bread-fruit tree. An arm of the boy, half screened from sight by her wild tresses, was thrown about the neck of the girl, while with the other he held one of her hands in his; and thus they stood together, their heads inclined forward, catching the faint noise we made in our progress, and with one foot in advance, as if half inclined to fly from our presence. As we drew near their alarm evidently increased. Apprehensive that they might fly from us altogether, I stopped short and motioned them to advance and receive the gift I extended towards them, but they would not; I then uttered a few words of their language with which I was acquainted, scarcely expecting that they would understand me, but to show that we had not dropped from the clouds upon them. This appeared to give them a little confidence, so I approached nearer, present- TYPEE OR HAPPAR? 89 ing the cloth with one hand and holding the bough with the other, while they slowly retreated. At last they suffered us to approach so near to them that we were enabled to throw the cotton cloth across their shoulders, giving them to understand that it was theirs, and by a variety of gestures endeavouring to make them under stand that we entertained the highest possible regard for them. The frightened pair now stood still, whilst we en deavoured to make them comprehend the nature of our wants. In doing this Toby went through with a com plete series of pantomimic illustrations opening his mouth from ear to ear and, thrusting his fingers down his throat, gnashing his teeth and rolling his eyes about, till I verily believe the poor creatures took us for a couple of white cannibals who were about to make a meal of them. When, however, they understood us, they showed no inclination to relieve our wants. At this juncture it began to rain violently, and we motioned them to lead us to some place of shelter. With this request they appeared willing to comply, but nothing could evince more strongly the apprehension with which they regarded us than the way in which, whilst walking before us, they kept their eyes constantly turned back to watch every movement we made, and even our very looks. "Typee or Happar, Toby?" asked I as we walked after them. "Of course Kappar," he replied with a show of con fidence which was intended to disguise his doubts. "We shall soon know," I exclaimed; and at the same moment I stepped forward towards our guides, and pro nouncing the two names interrogatively and pointing to the lowest part of the valley, endeavoured to come 90 TYPEE to the point at once. They repeated the words after me again and again, but without giving any peculiar emphasis to either, so that I was completely at a loss to understand them; for a couple of wilier young things than we afterwards found them to have been on this particular occasion never probably fell in any traveller s way. More and more curious to ascertain our fate, I now threw together in the form of a question the words "Happar" and "motarkee," the latter being equivalent to the word "good." The two natives interchanged glances of peculiar meaning with one another at this, and manifested no little surprise; but on the repetition of the question, after some consultation together, to the great joy of Toby, they answered in the affirmative. Toby was now in ecstasies, especially as the young sav ages continued to reiterate their answer with great energy, as though desirous of impressing us with the idea that being among the Happars, we ought to con sider ourselves perfectly secure. Although I had some lingering doubts, I feigned great delight with Toby at this announcement, while my companion broke out into a pantomimic abhorrence of Typee, and immeasurable love for the particular valley in which we were; our guides all the while gazing uneasily at one another as if at a loss to account for our conduct. They hurried on, and we followed them; until sud denly they set up a strange halloo, which was answered from beyond the grove through which we were passing, and the next moment we entered upon some open ground, at the extremity of which we descried a long, low hut, and in front of it were several young girls. As soon as they perceived us they fled with wild screams into TYPEE OR HAPPAR? 91 the adjoining thickets, like so many startled fawns. A few moments after the whole valley resounded with savage outcries, and the natives came running towards us from every direction. Had an army of invaders made an irruption into their territory they could not have evinced greater excitement. We were soon completely encircled by a dense throng, and in their eager desire to behold us they almost arrested our progress; an equal number surrounding our youthful guides, who with amazing volubility appeared to be detailing the circumstances which had attended their meeting with us. Every item of intelligence appeared to redouble the astonishment of the islanders, and they gazed at us with inquiring looks. At last we reached a large and handsome building of bamboos, and were by signs told to enter it, the natives opening a lane for us through which to pass; on entering without ceremony, we threw our exhausted frames upon the mats that covered the floor. In a mo ment the slight tenement was completely full of people, whilst those who were unable to obtain admittance gazed at us through its open cane-work. It was now evening, and by the dim light we could just discern the savage countenances around us, gleam ing with wild curiosity and wonder; the naked forms and tattooed limbs of brawny warriors, with here and there the slighter figures of young girls, all engaged in a perfect storm of conversation, of which we were of course the one only theme; whilst our recent guides were fully occupied in answering the innumerable ques tions which every one put to them. Nothing can exceed the fierce gesticulation of these people when animated in conversation, and on this occasion they gave loose to all their natural vivacity, shouting and dancing about in a manner that well-nigh intimidated us. 92 TYPEE Close to where we lay, squatting upon their haunches, were some eight or ten noble-looking chiefs for such they subsequently proved to be who, more reserved than the rest, regarded us with a fixed and stern atten tion which not a little discomposed our equanimity. One of them in particular, who appeared to be the highest in rank, placed himself directly facing me; looking at me with a rigidity of aspect under which I absolutely quailed. He never once opened his lips, but maintained his severe expression of countenance, with out turning his face aside for a single moment. Never before had I been subjected to so strange and steady a glance; it revealed nothing of the mind of the savage, but it appeared to be reading my own. After undergoing this scrutiny till I grew absolutely nervous, with a view of diverting it if possible, and conciliating the good opinion of the warrior, I took some tobacco from the bosom of my frock and offered it to him. He quietly rejected the proffered gift, and, without speaking, motioned me to return it to its place. In my previous intercourse with the natives of Nu- kuheva and Tior, I had found that the present of a small piece of tobacco would have rendered any of them devoted to my service. Was this act of the chief a token of his enmity? Typee or Happar? I asked within myself. I started, for Lt the same moment this identical question was asked by the strange being before me. I turned to Toby; the flickering light of a native taper showed me his countenance pale with trepidation at this fatal question. I paused for a second, and I know not by what impulse it was that I answered "Typee." The piece of dusky statuary nodded in approval, and then murmured "Motarkee!" "Motarkee," said I, without further hesitation "Typee motarkee." TYPEE OR HAPPAR? 93 What a transition! The dark figures around us leaped to their feet, clapped their hands in transport, and shouted again and again the talismanic syllables, the utterance of which appeared to have settled everything. When this commotion had a little subsided, the princi pal chief squatted once more before me, and throwing himself into a sudden rage, poured fourth a string of philippics, which I was at no loss to understand, from the frequent recurrence of the word Happar, as being directed against the natives of the adjoining valley. In all these denunciations my companion and I acquiesced, while we extolled the character of the warlike Typees. To be sure our panegyrics were somewhat laconic, con sisting in the repetition of that name, united with the potent adjective "motarkee." But this was sufficient, and served to conciliate the good will of the natives, with whom our congeniality of sentiment on this point did more towards inspiring a friendly feeling than any thing else that could have happened. At last the wrath of the chief evaporated, and in a few moments he was as placid as ever. Laying his hand upon his breast, he now gave me to understand that his name was "Mehevi," and that, in return, he wished me to communicate my appellation. I hesitated for an in stant, thinking that it might be difficult for him to pro nounce my real name, and then with the most praise worthy intentions intimated that I was known as "Tom." But I could not have made a worse selection; the chief could not master it; "Tommo," "Tomma," "Tommee," everything but plain "Tom." As he persisted in gar nishing the word with an additional syllable, I com promised the matter with him at the word "Tommo," and by that name I went during the entire period of my stay in the valley. The same proceeding was gone 94 TYPEE . through with Toby, whose mellifluous appellation was more easily caught. An exchange of names is equivalent to a ratification of good will and amity among these simple people; and as we were aware of this fact, we were delighted that it had taken place on the present occasion. Reclining upon our mats, we now held a kind of levee, giving audience to successive troops of the natives, who introduced themselves to us by pronouncing their respective names, and retired in high good humour on receiving ours in return. During this ceremony the greatest merriment prevailed, nearly every announce ment on the part of the islanders being followed by a fresh sally of gayety, which induced me to believe that some of them at least were innocently diverting the company at our expense, by bestowing upon themselves a string of absurd titles, of the humour of which we were of course entirely ignorant. All this occupied about an hour, when the throng hav ing a little diminished, I turned to Mehevi and gave him to understand that we were in need of food and sleep. Immediately the attentive chief addressed a few words to one of the crowd, who disappeared, and returned in a few moments with a calabash of "poee-poee," and two or three young cocoa-nuts stripped of their husks, and with their shells partly broken. We both of us forthwith placed one of these natural goblets to our lips, and drained it in a moment of the refreshing draught it contained. The poee-poee was then placed before us, and even famished as I was, I paused to consider in what manner to convey it to my mouth. This staple article of food among the Marquese islanders is manufactured from the produce of the bread fruit tree. It somewhat resembles in its plastic nature TYPEE OR HAPPAR? 95 our bookbinder s paste, is of a yellow colour, and some what tart to the taste. Such was the dish the merits of which I was now eager to discuss. I eyed it wistfully for a moment, and then, unable any longer to stand on ceremony, plunged my hand into the yielding mass, and to the boisterous mirth of the natives drew it forth laden with the poee- poee, which adhered in lengthy strings to every finger. So stubborn was its consistency that in conveying my heavily freighted hand to my mouth, the connecting links almost raised the calabash from the mats on which it had been placed. This display of awkwardness in which, by the by, Toby kept me company convulsed the bystanders with uncontrollable laughter. As soon as their merriment had somewhat subsided, Mehevi, motioning us to be attentive, dipped the fore finger of his right hand in the dish, and giving it a rapid and scientific twirl, drew it out coated smoothly with the preparation. With a second peculiar flourish he prevented the poee-poee from dropping to the ground as he raised it to his mouth, into which the finger was inserted and drawn forth perfectly free from any adhe sive matter. This performance was evidently intended for our instruction; so I again essayed the feat on the principles inculcated, but with very ill success. A starving man, however, little heeds conventional proprieties, especially on a South-Sea Island, and accord ingly Toby and I partook of the dish after our own clumsy fashion, beplastering our faces all over with the glutinous compound, and daubing our hands nearly to the wrist. This kind of food is by no means disagree able to the palate of a European, though at first the mode of eating it may be. For my own part, after the lapse of a few days I became accustomed to its singular flavour, and I grew remarkably fond of it. 96 TYPEE So much for the first course; several other dishes fol lowed it, some of which were positively delicious. We concluded our banquet by tossing off the contents of two more young cocoa-nuts, after which we regaled ourselves with the soothing fumes of tobacco, inhaled from a quaintly carved pipe which passed round the circle. During the repast, the natives eyed us with intense curiosity, observing our minutest motions, and appearing to discover abundant matter for comment in the most trifling occurrence. Their surprise mounted the highest when we began to remove our uncomfortable garments, which were saturated with rain. They scanned the whiteness of our limbs, and seemed utterly unable to account for the contrast they presented to the swarthy hue of our faces, embrowned from a six months ex posure to the scorching sun of the Line. They felt our skin, much in the same way that a silk mercer would handle a remarkably fine piece of satin; and some of them went so far in their investigation as to apply the olfactory organ. Their singular behaviour almost led me to imagine that they never before had beheld a white man ; but a few moments reflection convinced me that this could not have been the case; and a more satisfactory reason for their conduct has since suggested itself to my mind. Deterred by the frightful stories related of its inhabi tants, ships never enter this bay, while their hostile re lations with the tribes in the adjoining valleys prevent the Typees from visiting that section of the island where vessels occasionally lie. At long intervals, however, some intrepid captain will touch on the skirts of the bay, with two or three armed boats crews, and accompanied by an interpreter. The natives who live near the sea descry the strangers long before they reach their waters, TYPEE OR HAPPAR? 97 and aware of the purpose for which they come, pro claim loudly the news of their approach. By a species of vocal telegraph the intelligence reaches the inmost recesses of the vale in an inconceivably short space of time, drawing nearly its whole population down to the beach laden with every variety of fruit. The interpre ter, who is invariably a "tabooed kanaka," leaps ashore with the goods intended for barter, while the boats, with their oars shipped, and every man on his thwart, lie just outside the surf, heading off from the shore, in readiness at the first untoward event to escape to the open sea. As soon as the traffic is concluded, one of the boats pulls in under cover of the muskets of the others, the fruit is quickly thrown into her, and the transient visitors precipitately retire from what they justly con sider so dangerous a vicinity. The intercourse occurring with Europeans being so restricted, no wonder that the inhabitants of the valley manifested so much curiosity with regard to us, appear ing as we did among them under such singular circum stances. I have no doubt that we were the first white men who ever penetrated thus far back into their terri tories, or at least the first who had ever descended from the head of the vale. What had brought us thither must have appeared a complete mystery to them, and from our ignorance of the language it was impossible for us to enlighten them. In answer to inquiries which the eloquence of their gestures enabled us to compre hend, all that we could reply was that we had come from Nukuheva, a place, be it remembered, with which they were at open war. This intelligence appeared to affect them with the most lively emotions. "Nukuheva mo- tarkee?" they asked. Of course we replied most ener getically in the negative, 98 TYPEE Then they plied us with a thousand questions, of which we could understand nothing more than that they had reference to the recent movements of the French, against whom they seemed to cherish the most fierce hatred. So eager were they to obtain informa tion on this point that they still continued to propound their queries long after we had shown that we were utterly unable to answer them. Occasionally we caught some indistinct idea of their meaning, when we would endeavour by every method in our power to communi cate the desired intelligence. At such times their gratifi cation was boundless, and they would redouble their efforts to make us comprehend them more perfectly. But all in vain ; and in the end they looked at us despair ingly, as if we were the receptacles of invaluable infor mation but how to come at it they knew not. After a while the group around us gradually dispersed, and we were left about midnight (as we conjectured) with those who appeared to be permanent residents of the house. These individuals now provided us with fresh mats to lie upon, covered us with several folds of tappa, and then extinguishing the tapers that had been burning, threw themselves down beside us, and after a little desul tory conversation were soon sound asleep. CHAPTER XI MORNING VISITORS VARIOUS and conflicting were the thoughts which op pressed me during the silent hours that followed the events related in the preceding chapter. Toby, wearied with the fatigues of the day, slumbered heavily by my side; but the pain under which I was suffering effectu ally prevented my sleeping, and I remained distressingly alive to all the fearful circumstances of our present situ ation. Was it possible that, after all our vicissitudes, we were really in the terrible valley of Typee, and at the mercy of its inmates, a fierce and unrelenting tribe of savages? Typee or Happar? I shuddered when I reflected that there was no longer any room for doubt; and that, be yond all hope of escape, we were now placed in those very circumstances from the bare thought of which I had recoiled with such abhorrence but a few days before. What might not be our fearful destiny? To be sure, as yet we had been treated with no violence, nay, had been even kindly and hospitably entertained. But what de pendence could be placed upon the fickle passions which sway the bosom of a savage? His inconstancy and treachery are proverbial. Might it not be that beneath these fair appearances the islanders covered some perfid ious design, and that their friendly reception of us might only precede some horrible catastrophe? How strongly did these forebodings spring up in my mind as I lay rest- 99 ioo TYPEE lessly upon a couch of mats, surrounded by the dimly revealed forms of those whom f so greatly dreaded! From the excitement of these fearful thoughts I sank towards morning into an uneasy slumber; and on awak ing, with a start, in the midst of an appalling dream, looked up into the eager countenances of a number of the natives, who were bending over me. It was broad day, and the house was nearly filled with young females, fancifully decorated with flowers, who gazed upon me as I rose with faces in which childish delight and curiosity were vividly portrayed. After waking Toby, they seated themselves round us on the mats and gave full play to that prying inquisitiveness which time out of mind has been attributed to the ador able sex. As these unsophisticated young creatures were at tended by no jealous duennas, their proceedings were altogether informal, and void of artificial restraint. Long and minute was the investigation with which they hon oured us, and so uproarious their mirth that I felt in finitely sheepish; and Toby was immeasurably outraged at their familiarity. These lively young ladies were at the same time won derfully polite and humane; fanning aside the insects that occasionally lighted on our brows; presenting us with food ; and compassionately regarding me in the midst of my afflictions. But in spite of all their blandishments, my feelings of propriety were exceedingly shocked, for I could not but consider them as having overstepped the due limits of female decorum. Having diverted themselves to their hearts content, our young visitants now withdrew, and gave place to successive troops of the other sex, who continued flock ing towards the house until near noon, by which time MORNING VISITORS 101 I have no doubt that the greater part of the inhabitants of the valley had bathed themselves in the light of our benignant countenances. At last, when their numbers began to diminish, a superb-looking warrior stooped the towering plumes of his head-dress beneath the low portal and entered the house. I saw at once that he was some distinguished personage, the natives regarding him with the utmost deference, and making room for him as he approached. His aspect was imposing. The splendid long drooping tail-feathers of the tropical bird, thickly interspersed with the gaudy plumage of the cock, were disposed in an immense upright semicircle upon his head, their lower extremities being fixed in a crescent of guinea-beads which spanned the forehead. Around his neck were sev eral enormous necklaces of boars tusks, polished like ivory, and disposed in such a manner that the longest and largest were upon his capacious chest. Thrust for ward through the large apertures in his ears were two small and finely shaped sperm-whale teeth, presenting their cavities in front, stuffed with freshly plucked leaves, and curiously wrought at the other end into strange little images and devices. These barbaric trinkets, garnished in this manner at their open extremities, and tapering and curving around to a point behind the ear, resembled not a little a pair of cornucopias. The loins of the warrior were girt about with heavy folds of dark-coloured tappa, hanging before and behind in clusters of braided tassels, while anklets and bracelets of curling human hair completed his unique costume. In his right hand he grasped a beautifully carved paddle- spear, nearly fifteen feet in length, made of the bright koar-wood, one end sharply pointed, and the other flat tened like an oar-blade. Hanging obliquely from his 102 TYPEE girdle by a loop of sinnate was a richly decorated pipe; the slender reed forming its stem was coloured with a red pigment, and round it, as well as the idol-bowl, fluttered little streamers of the thinnest tappa. But that which was most remarkable in the appear ance of the splendid islander was the elaborate tattoo ing displayed on every noble limb. All imaginable lines and curves and figures were delineated over his whole body, and in their grotesque variety and infinite pro fusion I could only compare them to the crowded groupings of quaint patterns we sometimes see in costly pieces of lace-work. The most simple and remarkable of all these ornaments was that which decorated the countenance of the chief. Two broad stripes of tattoo ing, diverging from the centre of his shaven crown, ob liquely crossed both eyes staining the lids to a little below either ear, where they united with another stripe which swept in a straight line along the lips and formed the base of the triangle. The warrior, from the excel lence of his physical proportions, might certainly have been regarded as one of Nature s noblemen, and the lines drawn upon his face may possibly have denoted his exalted rank. This warlike personage, upon entering the house, seated himself at some distance from the spot where Toby and myself reposed, while the rest of the savages looked alternately from us to him, as if in expectation of something they were disappointed in not perceiving. Regarding the chief attentively, I thought his linea ments appeared familiar to me. As soon as his full face was turned upon me, and I again beheld its extraordi nary embellishment, and met the strange gaze to which I had been subjected the preceding night, I immediately, in spite of the alteration in his appearance, recognised MORNING VISITORS 103 the noble Mehevi. On addressing him, he advanced at once in the most cordial manner, and, greeting me warmly, seemed to enjoy not a little the effect his bar baric costume had produced upon me. I forthwith determined to secure, if possible, the good will of this individual, as I easily perceived he was a man of great authority in his tribe, and one who might exert a powerful influence upon our subsequent fate. In the endeavour I was not repulsed; for nothing could surpass the friendliness he manifested towards both my companion and myself. He extended his sturdy limbs by our side and endeavoured to make us compre hend the full extent of the kindly feelings by which he was actuated. The almost insuperable difficulty in com municating to one another our ideas affected the chief with no little mortification. He evinced a great desire to be enlightened with regard to the customs and pe culiarities of the far-off country we had left behind us, and to which under the name of Maneeka he frequently alluded. But that which more than any other subject engaged his attention was the late proceedings of the "France," as he called the French, in the neighbouring bay of Nu- kuheva. This seemed a never-ending theme with him, and one concerning which he was never weary of inter rogating us. All the information we succeeded in im parting to him on this subject was little more than that we had seen six men-of-war lying in the hostile bay at the time we had left it. When he received this intelli gence, Mehevi, by the aid of his fingers, went through a long numerical calculation, as if estimating the number of Frenchmen the squadron might contain. It was just after employing his faculties in this way that he happened to notice the swelling in my limb. 104 TYPEE He immediately examined it with the utmost attention, and after doing so despatched a boy who happened to be standing by with some message. After the lapse of a few moments the stripling re-entered the house with an aged islander, who might have been taken for old Hip pocrates himself. His head was as bald as the polished surface of a cocoa-nut shell, which article it precisely resembled in smoothness and colour, while a long silvery beard swept almost to his girdle of bark. Encircling his temples was a bandeau of the twisted leaves of the Omoo- tree, pressed closely over the brows to shield his feeble vision from the glare of the sun. His tottering steps were supported by a long slim staff, resembling the wand with which a theatrical magician appears on the stage, and in one hand he carried a freshly plaited fan of the green leaflets of the cocoa-nut tree. A flowing robe of tappa, knotted over the shoulder, hung loosely round his stooping form and heightened the venerable- ness of his aspect. Mehevi, saluting this old gentleman, motioned him to a seat between us, and then uncovering my limb, desired him to examine it. The leech gazed intently from me to Toby, and then proceeded to business. After dili gently observing the ailing member, he commenced manipulating it; and on the supposition probably that the complaint had deprived the leg of all sensation, began to pinch and hammer it in such a manner that I absolutely roared with the pain. Thinking that I was as capable of making an application of thumps and pinches to the part as any one else, I endeavoured to resist this species of medical treatment. But it was not so easy a matter to get out of the clutches of the old wizard; he fastened on the unfortunate limb as if it were something for which he had been long seeking, and MORNING VISITORS 105 muttering some kind of incantation continued his dis cipline, pounding it after a fashion that set me well nigh crazy; while Mehevi, upon the same principle which prompts an affectionate mother to hold a strug gling child in a dentist s chair, restrained me in his powerful grasp, and actually encouraged the wretch in his infliction of torture. Almost frantic with rage and pain, I yelled like a bedlamite, while Toby, throwing himself into all the attitudes of a posture-master, vainly endeavoured to ex postulate with the natives by signs and gestures. To have looked at my companion, as, sympathizing with my sufferings, he strove to put an end to them, one would have thought that he was the deaf and dumb alphabet incarnated. Whether my tormentor yielded to Toby s entreaties, or paused from sheer exhaustion, I do not know; but all at once he ceased his operations, and at the same time the chief relinquishing his hold upon me, I fell back, faint and breathless with the agony I had endured. iVIy unfortunate limb was now left much in the same condition as a rump-steak after undergoing the castigat ing process which precedes cooking. My physician, having recovered from the fatigues of his exertions, as if anxious to make amends for the pain to which he had subjected me, now took some herbs out of a little wallet that was suspended from his wrist, and moisten ing them in water, applied them to the inflamed part, stooping over it at the same time, and either whispering a spell or having a little confidential chat with some imaginary demon located in the calf of my leg. My limb was now swathed in leafy bandages, and, grate ful to Providence for the cessation of hostilities, I was suffered to rest. io6 TYPEE Mehevi shortly after rose to depart; but before he went he spoke authoritatively to one of the natives whom he addressed as Kory-Kory; and from the little I could understand of what took place, pointed him out to me as a man whose peculiar business thenceforth would be to attend upon my person. I am not certain that I comprehended as much as this at the time, but the subsequent conduct of my trusty body-servant fully assured me that such must have been the case. I could not but be amused at the manner in which the chief addressed me upon this occasion, talking to me for at least fifteen or twenty minutes as calmly as if I could understand every word that he said. I remarked this peculiarity very often afterwards in many other of the islanders. Mehevi having now departed, and the family physi cian having likewise made his exit, we were left about sunset with the ten or twelve natives, who by this time I had ascertained composed the household of which Toby and I were members. As the dwelling to which we had been first introduced was the place of my perma nent abode while I remained in the valley, and as I was necessarily placed upon the most intimate footing with its occupants, I may as well here enter into a little description of it and its inhabitants. This description will apply also to nearly all the other dwelling-places in the vale, and will furnish some idea of the generality of the natives. Near one side of the valley, and about midway up the ascent of a rather abrupt rise of ground waving with the richest verdure, a number of large stones were laid in successive courses, to the height of nearly eight feet, and disposed in such a manner that their level surface corre sponded in shape with the habitation which was perched MORNING VISITORS upon it. A narrow space, however, was reserved in front of the dwelling, upon the summit of this pile of stones (called by the natives a "pi-pi"), which, being enclosed by a little pocket of canes, gave it somewhat the appearance of a verandah. The frame of the house was constructed of large bamboos planted upright, and secured together at intervals by transverse stalks of the light wood of the hibiscus, lashed with thongs of bark. The rear of the tenement built up with successive ranges of cocoa-nut boughs bound one upon another, with their leaflets cunningly woven together inclined a little from the vertical, and extended from the extreme edge of the "pi-pi" to about twenty feet from its surface; whence the shelving roof thatched with the long taper ing leaves of the palmetto sloped steeply off to within about five feet of the floor, leaving the eaves drooping with tassel-like appendages over the front of the habita tion. This was constructed of light and elegant canes, in a kind of open screen work, tastefully adorned with bindings of variegated sinnate, which served to hold together its various parts. The sides of the house were similarly built, thus presenting three quarters for the circulation of the air, while the whole was impervious to the rain. In length this picturesque building was perhaps twelve yards, while in breadth it could not have exceeded as many feet. So much for the exterior; which with its wire-like reed-twisted sides not a little reminded me of an immense aviary. Stooping a little, you passed through a narrow aper ture in its front; and facing you, on entering, lay two long, perfectly straight, and well-polished trunks of the cocoa-nut tree, extending the full length of the dwell ing, one of them placed closely against the rear, and io8 TYPEE the other lying parallel with it some two yards distant, the interval between them being spread with a multi tude of gayly worked mats, nearly all of a different pat tern. This space formed the common couch and loung ing place of the natives, answering the purpose of a divan in Oriental countries. Here would they slumber through the hours of the night, and recline luxuriously during the greater part of the day. The remainder of the floor presented only the cool shining surfaces of the large stones of which the "pi-pi" was composed. From the ridge-pole of the house hung suspended a number of large packages enveloped in coarse tappa, some of which contained festival dresses, and various other matters of the wardrobe, held in high estimation. These were easily accessible by means of a line which, passing over the ridge-pole, had one end attached to a bundle, while with the other, which led to the side of the dwelling and was there secured, the package could be lowered or elevated at pleasure. Against the farther wall of the house were arranged in tasteful figures a variety of spears and javelins and other implements of savage warfare. Outside of the habitation, and built upon the piazza-like area in its front, was a little shed used as a sort of larder or pantry, in which were stored various articles of domestic use and convenience. A few yards from the pi-pi was a large shed built of cocoa-nut boughs, were the proc ess of preparing the "poee-poee" was carried on and all culinary operations attended to. Thus much for the house and its appurtenances; and it will be readily acknowledged that a more commodious and appropriate dwelling for the climate and the people could not possibly be devised. It was cool, free to admit the air, scrupulously clean, and elevated above the dampness and impurities of the ground. MORNING VISITORS 109 But now to sketch the inmates; and here I claim for my tried servitor and faithful valet Kory-Kory the precedence of a first description. As his character will be gradually unfolded in the course of my narrative, I shall for the present content myself with delineating his personal appearance. Kory-Kory, though the most de voted and best-natured serving-man in the world, was, alas! a hideous object to look upon. He was some twenty-five years of age, and about six feet in height, robust and well made, and of the most extraordinary aspect. His head was carefully shaven, with the excep tion of two circular spots, about the size of a dollar, near the top of the cranium, where the hair, permitted to grow of an amazing length, was twisted up in two prominent knots that gave him the appearance of being decorated with a pair of horns. His beard, plucked out by the roots from every other part of his face, was suf fered to droop in hairy pendants, two of which garnished his upper lip and an equal number hung from the extremity of his chin. Kory-Kory, with a view of improving the handiwork of nature, and perhaps prompted by a desire to add to the engaging expression of his countenance, had seen fit to embellish his face with three broad longitudinal stripes of tattooing, which like those country roads that go straight forward in defiance of all obstacles, crossed his nasal organ, descended into the hollow of his eyes, and even skirted the borders of his mouth. Each completely spanned his physiognomy, one extending in a line with his eyes, another crossing his face in the vicinity of the nose, and the third sweeping along his lips from ear to ear. His countenance, thus triply hooped as it were with tattooing, always reminded me of those unhappy wretches whom I have sometimes no TYPEE observed gazing out sentimentally from behind the grated bars of a prison window; whilst the entire body of my savage valet, covered all over with representations of birds and fishes, and a variety of most unaccountable- looking creatures, suggested to me the idea of a pictorial museum of natural history, or an illustrated copy of "Goldsmith s Animated Nature." But it seems really heartless in me to write thus of the poor islander, whom I owe perhaps for his unremit ting attentions the very existence I now enjoy. Kory- Kory, I mean thee no harm in what I say in regard to thy outward adornings; but they were a little curious to my unaccustomed sight, and therefore I dilate upon them. But to underrate or forget thy faithful services is some thing I could never be guilty of, even in the giddiest moment of my life. The father of my attached follower was a native of gigantic frame, and had once possessed prodigious phys ical powers; but the lofty form was now yielding to the inroads of time, though the hand of disease seemed never to have been laid upon the aged warrior. Marheyo for such was his name appeared to have retired from all active participation in the affairs of the valley, sel dom or never accompanying the natives in their various expeditions, and employing the greater part of his time in throwing up a little shed just outside the house, up on which he was engaged to my certain knowledge for four months without appearing to make any sensible advance. I suppose the old gentleman was in his dotage, for he manifested in various ways the characteristics which mark this particular stage of life. I remember in particular his having a choice pair of ear-ornaments, fabricated from the teeth of some sea- monster. These he would alternately wear and take off MORNING VISITORS in at least fifty times in the course of the day, going and coming from his little hut on each occasion with all the tranquillity imaginable. Sometimes slipping them through the slits in his ears, he would seize his spear which in length and slightness resembled a fishing pole and go stalking beneath the shadows of the neighbouring groves, as if about to give a hostile meeting to some cannibal knight. But he would soon return again, and hiding his weapon under the projecting eaves of the house and rolling his clumsy trinkets carefully in a piece of tappa, would resume his more pacific opera tions as quietly as if he had never interrupted them. But despite his eccentricities Marheyo was a most paternal and warm-hearted old fellow, and in this par ticular not a little resembled his son Kory-Kory. The mother of the latter was the mistress of the family, and a notable housewife and a most industrious old lady she was. If she did not understand the art of making jellies, jams, custards, tea-cakes, and such like trashy affairs, she was profoundly skilled in the mysteries of peparing "amar," "poee-poee," and "kokoo," with other substantial matters. She was a genuine busy-body, bustling about the house like a country landlady at an unexpected arrival, forever giving the young girls tasks to perform, which the little huzzies as often neglected, poking into every corner, and rummaging over bundles of old tappa, or making a prodigious clatter among the calabashes. Sometimes she might have been seen squat ting upon her haunches in front of a huge wooden basin, and kneading poee-poee with terrific vehemence, dashing the stone pestle about as if she would shiver the vessel into fragments; on other occasions galloping about the valley in search of a particular kind of leaf ; used in some of her recondite operations, and returning home, ii2 TYPEE toiling and sweating, with a bundle of it under which most women would have sunk. To tell the truth, Kory-Kory s mother was the only industrious person in all the valley of Typee; and she could not have employed herself more actively had she been left an exceedingly muscular and destitute widow with an inordinate supply of young children, in the bleakest part of the civilised world. There was not the slightest necessity for the greater portion of the labour performed by the old lady; but she seemed to work from some irresistible impulse; her limbs contin ually swaying to and fro, as if there were some inde fatigable engine concealed within her body which kept her in perpetual motion. Never suppose that she was a termagant or a shrew for all this; she had the kindliest heart in the world, and acted towards me in particular in a truly maternal manner, occasionally putting some little morsel of choice food into my hand, some outlandish kind of savage sweet meat or pastry, like a doting mother petting a sickly urchin with tarts and sugar-plums. Warm indeed are my remembrances of the dear, good, affectionate old Tinor! Besides the individuals I have mentioned, there be longed to the household three young men, dissipated, good-for-nothing, roystering blades of savages, who were either employed in prosecuting love-affairs with the maidens of the tribe, or grew boozy on "arva" and tobacco in the company of congenial spirits, the scape graces of the valley. Among the permanent inmates of the house were like wise several lovely damsels, who instead of thrumming pianos and reading novels, like more enlightened young ladies, substituted for these employments the MORNING VISITORS 113 manufacture of a fine species of tappa, but for the greater portion of the time were skipping from house to house, gadding and gossipping with their acquaintances. From the rest of these, however, I must except the beauteous nymph Fayaway, who was my peculiar fa vourite. Her free pliant figure was the very perfection of female grace and beauty. Her complexion was a rich and mantling olive, and when watching the glow upon her cheeks I could almost swear that beneath the trans parent medium there lurked the blushes of a faint ver milion. The face of this girl was a rounded oval, and each feature perfectly formed. Her full lips, when parted with a smile, disclosed teeth of a dazzling white ness; and when her rosy mouth opened with a burst of merriment, they looked like the milk-white seeds of the "arta," a fruit of the valley, which, when cleft in twain, shows them reposing in rows on either side, embedded in the rich and juicy pulp. Her hair of the deepest brown, parted irregularly in the middle, flowed in natu ral ringlets over her shoulders. Gazing into the depths of her strange blue eyes, when she was in a contemplative mood, they seemed most placid yet unfathomable; but when illuminated by some lively emotion, they beamed upon the beholder like stars. The hands of Fayaway were as soft and delicate as those of any countess; for an entire exemption from rude labour marks the girl hood and even prime of a Typee woman s life. Her feet, though wholly exposed, were as diminutive and fairly shaped as those which peep from beneath the skirts of a Lima lady s dress. The skin of this young creature, from continual ablutions and the use of molli fying ointments, was inconceivably smooth and soft. I may succeed, perhaps, in particularising some of the individual features of Fayaway s beauty, but that ii4 TYPEE general loveliness of appearance which they all contrib uted to produce I will not attempt to describe. The easy unstudied graces of a child of nature like this, breathing from infancy an atmosphere of perpetual summer, and nurtured by the simple fruits of the earth; enjoying a perfect freedom from care and anxiety, and removed effectually from all injurious tendencies, strike the eye in a manner which cannot be portrayed. This picture is no fancy sketch; it is drawn from the most vivid recollections of the person delineated. Were I asked if the beauteous form of Fayaway was altogether free from the hideous blemish of tattooing, I should be constrained to answer that it was not. But the practitioners of the barbarous art, so remorseless in their inflictions upon the brawny limbs of the warriors of the tribe, seem to be conscious that it needs not the resources of their profession to augment the charms of the maidens of the vale. The females are very little embellished in this way, and Fayaway, with all the other young girls of her age, were even less so than those of their sex more advanced in years. The reason of this peculiarity will be alluded to hereafter. All the tattooing that the nymph in ques tion exhibited upon her person may be easily described. Three minute dots, no bigger than pinheads, decorated either lip, and at a little distance were not at all dis cernible. Just upon the fall of the shoulder were drawn two parallel lines half an inch apart, and perhaps three inches in length, the interval being filled with delicately executed figures. These narrow bands of tattooing, thus placed, always reminded me of those stripes of gold lace worn by officers in undress, and which were in lieu of epaulettes to denote their rank. But I have omitted to describe the dress worn by this MORNING VISITORS 115 nymph of the valley. Fayaway I must avow the fact for the most part clung to the primitive and summer garb of Eden. But how becoming the costume! It showed her fine figure to the best possible advantage; and nothing could have been better adapted to her pe culiar style of beauty. On ordinary occasions she was habited precisely as I have described the two youthful savages whom we had met on first entering the valley. At other times, when rambling among the groves, or vis iting at the houses of her acquaintances, she wore a tunic of white tappa, reaching from her waist to a little below the knees; and when exposed for any length of time to the sun, she invariably protected herself from its rays by a floating mantle of the same material, loosely gathered about the person. Her gala dress will be de scribed hereafter. As the beauties of our own land delight in bedecking themselves with fanciful articles of jewellery, suspend ing them from their ears, hanging them about their necks, and clasping them around their waists, so Fay- away and her companions were in the habit of ornament ing themselves with similar appendages. Flora was their jeweller. Sometimes they wore neck laces of small carnation flowers, strung like rubies upon a fibre of tappa, or displayed in their ears a single white bud, the stem thrust backward through the aperture, and showing in front the delicate petals folded together in a beautiful sphere, and looking like a drop of the purest pearl. Chaplets too, resembling in their arrange ment the strawberry coronal worn by an English peeress, and composed of intertwined leaves and blossoms, often crowned their temples; and bracelets and anklets of the same tasteful pattern were frequently to be seen. In deed, the maidens of the islands were passionately fond n6 TYPEE of flowers, and never wearied of decorating their persons with them, a lovely trait in their character, and one that ere long will be more fully alluded to. Though in my eyes, at least, Fayaway was indisputably the loveliest female I saw in Typee, yet the description I have given of her will in some measure apply to nearly all the youthful portion of her sex in the valley. Judge ye then, reader, what beautiful creatures they must have been. CHAPTER XII TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES WHEN Mehevi had departed from the house, as re lated in the preceding chapter, Kory-Kory commenced the functions of the post assigned him. He brought us various kinds of food, and, as if I were an infant, in sisted upon feeding me with his own hands. To this procedure I, of course, most earnestly objected, but in vain; and having laid a calabash of kokoo before me, he washed his fingers in a vessel of water, and then putting his hand into the dish and rolling the food into little balls, put them one after another into my mouth. All my remonstrances against this measure only provoked so great a clamour on his part that I was obliged to ac quiesce; and the operation of feeding being thus fa cilitated, the meal was quickly despatched. As for Toby, he was allowed to help himself after his own fashion. The repast over, my attendant arranged the mats for repose, and, bidding me lie down, covered me with a large robe of tappa, at the same time looking approv ingly upon me, and exclaiming, "Ki-ki, nuee nuee, ah! moee moee motarkee" (eat plenty, ah! sleep very good). The philosophy of this sentiment I did not pretend to question; for deprived of sleep for several preceding nights, and the pain in my limb having much abated, I now felt inclined to avail myself of the opportunity afforded me. The next morning, on waking, I found Kory-Kory 117 n8 TYPEE stretched out on one side of me, while my companion lay upon the other. I felt sensibly refreshed after a night of sound repose, and immediately agreed to the proposition of my valet that I should repair to the water and wash, although dreading the suffering that the ex ertion might produce. From this apprehension, however, I was quickly relieved; for Kory-Kory, leaping from the pi-pi, and then backing himself up against it, like a porter in readiness to shoulder a trunk, with loud vocif erations and a superabundance of gestures gave me to understand that I was to mount upon his back and be thus transported to the stream, which flowed perhaps two hundred yards from the house. Our appearance upon the verandah in front of the habitation drew together quite a crowd, who stood looking on and conversing with one another in the most animated manner. They reminded one of a group of idlers gathered about the door of a village tavern when the equipage of some distinguished traveller is brought round previous to his departure. As soon as I clasped my arms about the neck of the devoted fellow, and he jogged off with me, the crowd composed chiefly of young girls and boys followed after, shouting and capering with infinite glee, and accompanied us to the banks of the stream. On gaining it, Kory-Kory, wading up to his hips in the water, carried me half way across, and deposited me on a smooth black stone which rose a few inches above the surface. The amphibious rabble at our heels plunged in after us, and, climbing to the summit of the grass-grown rocks with which the bed of the brook was here and there broken, waited curiously to witness our morning ablutions. Somewhat embarrassed by the presence of the female TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 119 portion of the company, and feeling my cheeks burning with bashful timidity, I formed a primitive basin by joining my hands together, and cooled my blushes in the water it contained; then removing my frock, bent over and washed myself down to my waist in the stream. As soon as Kory-Kory comprehended from my motions that this was to be the extent of my performance, he ap peared perfectly aghast with astonishment, and rush ing towards me, poured out a torrent of words in eager deprecation of so limited an operation, enjoining me by unmistakable signs to immerse my whole body. To this I was forced to consent; and the honest fellow regarding me as a froward, inexperienced child, whom it was his duty to serve at the risk of offending, lifted me from the rock, and tenderly bathed my limbs. This over, and resuming my seat, I could not avoid bursting into admiration of the scene around me. From the verdant surfaces of the large stones that lay scat tered about, the natives were now sliding off into the water, diving and ducking beneath the surface in all directions the young girls springing buoyantly into the air, and revealing their naked forms to the waist, with their long tresses dancing about their shoulders, their eyes sparkling like drops of dew in the sun, and their gay laughter pealing forth at every frolicsome incident. On the afternoon of the day that I took my first bath in the valley, we received another visit from Mehevi. The noble savage seemed to be in the same pleasant mood, and was quite as cordial in his manner as before. After remaining about an hour, he rose from the mats, and motioning to leave the house, invited Toby and myself to accompany him. I pointed to my leg; but Mehevi in his turn pointed to Kory-Kory, and removed 120 TYPEE that objection; so, mounting upon the faithful fellow s shoulders again like the old man of the sea astride of Sindbad I followed after the chief. The nature of the route we now pursued struck me more forcibly than anything I had yet seen, as illustrating the indolent disposition of the islanders. The path was obviously the most beaten one in the valley, several others leading from either side into it, and perhaps for successive generations it had formed the principal avenue of the place. And yet, until I grew more familiar with its impediments, it seemed as difficult to travel as the recesses of a wilderness. Part of it swept round an abrupt rise of ground, the surface of which was broken by frequent inequalities, and thickly strewn with project ing masses of rocks, whose summits were often hidden from view by the drooping foliage of the luxuriant vege tation. Sometimes directly over, sometimes evading these obstacles with a wide circuit, the path wound along one moment climbing over a sudden eminence smooth with continued wear, then descending on the other side into a steep glen, and crossing the flinty channel of a brook. Here it pursued the depths of a glade, occasion ally obliging you to stoop beneath vast horizontal branches; and now you stepped over huge trunks and boughs that lay rotting across the track. Such was the grand thoroughfare of Typee. After proceeding a little distance along it Kory-Kory pant ing and blowing with the weight of his burden I dis mounted from his back, and grasping the long spear of Mehevi in my hand, assisted my steps over the numer ous obstacles of the road, preferring this mode of ad vance to one which, from the difficulties of the way, was equally painful to myself and my wearied servitor. Our journey was soon at an end: for, scaling a sud- TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 121 den height, we came abruptly upon the place of our destination. I wish that it were possible to sketch in words this spot as vividly as I recollect it. Here were situated the Taboo groves of the valley the scene of many a prolonged feast, of many a horrid rite. Beneath the dark shadows of the consecrated bread-fruit trees there reigned a solemn twilight a cathedral-like gloom. The frightful genius of pagan worship seemed to brood in silence over the place, breathing its spell upon every object around. Here and there, in the depths of these awful shades, half screened from sight by masses of overhanging foliage, rose the idolatrous altars of the savages, built of enor mous blocks of black and polished stone, placed one upon another, without cement, to the height of twelve or fifteen feet, and surmounted by a rustic open temple, enclosed with a low picket of canes, within which might be seen, in various stages of decay, offerings of bread fruit and cocoa-nuts and the putrefying relics of some recent sacrifice. In the midst of the wood was the hallowed "hoolah hoolah" ground set apart for the celebration of the fantastic religious ritual of these people comprising an extensive oblong pi-pi, terminating at either end in a lofty terraced altar, guarded by ranks of hideous wooden idols, and with the two remaining sides flanked by ranges of bamboo sheds, opening towards the interior of the quadrangle thus formed. Vast trees, standing in the middle of this space, and throwing over it an umbra geous shade, had their massive trunks built round with slight stages, elevated a few feet above the ground, and railed in with canes, forming so many rustic pulpits, from which the priests harangued their devotees. This holiest of spots was defended from profanation 122 TYPEE by the strictest edicts of the all-pervading "taboo/ which condemned to instant death the sacriligious fe male who should enter or touch its sacred precincts, or even so much as press with her feet the ground made holy by the shadows that it cast. Access was had to the enclosure through an embow ered entrance on one side, facing a number of towering cocoa-nut trees, planted at intervals along a level area of a hundred yards. At the further extremity of this space was to be seen a building of considerable size, reserved for the habitation of the priests and religious attendants of the groves. In its vicinity was another remarkable edifice, built as usual upon the summit of a pi-pi, and at least two hundred feet in length, though not more than twenty in breadth. The whole front of this latter structure was completely open, and from one end to the other ran a narrow verandah, fenced in on the edge of the pi-pi with a picket of canes. Its interior presented the ap pearance of an immense lounging-place, the entire floor being strewn with successive layers of mats, lying be tween parallel trunks of cocoa-nut trees, selected for the purpose from the straightest and most symmetrical the vale afforded. To this building, denominated in the language of the natives the "Ti," Mehevi now conducted us. Thus far we had been accompanied by a troop of the natives of both sexes; but as soon as we approached its vicinity, the females gradually separated themselves from the crowd, and standing aloof, permitted us to pass on. The merciless prohibitions of the taboo extended likewise to this edifice, and were enforced by the same dreadful penalty that secured the Hoolah Hoolah ground from the imaginary pollution of a woman s presence. TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 123 On entering the house, I was surprised to see six mus kets ranged against the bamboo on one side, from the barrels of which depended as many small canvas pouches, partly filled with powder. Disposed about these mus kets, like the cutlasses that decorate the bulkhead of a man-of-war s cabin, were a great variety of rude spears and paddles, javelins, and war-clubs. This then, said I to Toby, must be the armory of the tribe. As we advanced further along the building, we were struck with the aspect of four or five hideous old wretches, on whose decrepit forms time and tattooing seemed to have obliterated every trace of humanity. Owing to the continued operation of this latter process, which only terminates among the warriors of the island after all the figures sketched upon their limbs in youth have been blended together an effect, however, pro duced only in cases of extreme longevity the bodies of these men were of a uniform dull green colour the hue which the tattooing gradually assumes as the indi vidual advances in age. Their skin had a frightful scaly appearance, which, united with its singular colour, made their limbs not a little resemble dusty specimens of verde- antique. Their flesh, in parts, hung upon them in huge folds, like the overlapping plaits on the flank of a rhi noceros. Their heads were completely bald, whilst their faces were puckered into a thousand wrinkles, and they presented no vestige of a beard. But the most remark able peculiarity about them was the appearance of their feet; the toes, like the radiating lines of the mariner s compass, pointed to every quarter of the horizon. This was doubtless attributable to the fact that during nearly a hundred years of existence the said toes never had been subjected to an artificial confinement, and in their old age, being averse to close neighbourhood, bid one another keep open order. 124 TYPEE These repulsive-looking creatures appeared to have lost the use of their lower limbs altogether, sitting upon the floor cross-legged in a state of torpor. They never heeded us in the least, scarcely looking conscious of our presence, while Mehevi seated us upon the mats, and Kory-Kory gave utterance to some unintelligible gib berish. In a few moments a boy entered with a wooden trencher of poee-poee; and in regaling myself with its contents I was obliged again to submit to the officious intervention of my indefatigable servitor. Various other dishes followed, the chief manifesting the most hospit able importunity in pressing us to partake, and to remove all bashfulness on our part, set us no despicable example in his own person. The repast concluded, a pipe was lighted, which passed from mouth to mouth, and yielding to its soporific in fluence, the quiet of the place, and the deepening shad ows of approaching night, my companion and I sank into a kind of drowsy repose, while the chief and Kory-Kory seemed to be slumbering beside us. I awoke from an uneasy nap, about midnight, as I sup posed; and, raising myself partly from the mat, became sensible that we were enveloped in utter darkness. Toby lay still asleep, but our late companions had disappeared. The only sound that interrupted the silence of the place was the asthmatic breathing of the old men I have men tioned, who reposed at a little distance from us. Besides them, as well as I could judge, there was no one else in the house. Apprehensive of some evil, I roused my comrade, and we were engaged in a whispered conference concerning the unexpected withdrawal of the natives, when all at once, from the depths of the grove, in full view of us TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 125 where we lay, shoots of flame were seen to rise, and in a few moments illuminated the surrounding trees, cast ing, by contrast, into still deeper gloom the darkness around us. While we continued gazing at this sight, dark figures appeared moving to and fro before the flames; while others, dancing and capering about, looked like so many demons. Regarding this new phenomenon with no small degree of trepidition, I said to my companion, "What can all this mean, Toby?" "Oh, nothing," replied he; "getting the fire ready, I suppose." "Fire!" exclaimed I, while my heart took to beating like a trip-hammer, "what fire?" "Why, the fire to cook us, to be sure; what else would the cannibals be kicking up such a row about if it were not for that?" "Oh, Toby! have done with your jokes; this is no time for them; something is about to happen, I feel con fident." "Jokes, indeed!" exclaimed Toby, indignantly. "Did you ever hear me joke? Why, for what do you suppose the devils have been feeding us up in this kind of style during the last three days, unless it were for something that you are too much frightened at to talk about? Look at that Kory-Kory there! has he not been stuffing you with his confounded mushes, just in the way they treat swine before they kill them? Depend upon it, we will be eaten this blessed night, and there is the fire we shall be roasted by." This view of the matter was not at all calculated to allay my apprehensions, and I shuddered when I reflected that we were indeed at the mercy of a tribe of cannibals, 126 TYPEE and that the dreadful contingency to which Toby had alluded was by no means removed beyond the bounds of possibility. "There! I told you so! they are coming for us!" ex claimed my companion the next moment, as the forms of four of the islanders were seen in bold relief against the illuminated background, mounting the pi-pi and approaching toward us. They came on noiselessly, nay stealthily, and glided along through the gloom that surrounded us as if about to spring upon some object they were fearful of dis turbing before they should make sure of it. Gracious heaven! the horrible reflections which crowded upon me that moment. A cold sweat stood upon my brow, and spellbound with terror I awaited my fate! Suddenly the silence was broken by the well-remem bered tones of Mehevi, and at the kindly accents of his voice my fears were immediately dissipated. "Tommo, Toby, ki ki! " (eat) . He had waited to address us until he had assured himself that we were both awake, at which he seemed somewhat surprised. "Ki ki! is it?" said Toby in his gruff tones; "well, cook us first, will you? but what s this?" he added, as another savage appeared, bearing before him a large trencher of wood, containing some kind of steaming meat, as appeared from the odors it diffused, and which he deposited at the feet of Mehevi. "A baked baby, I dare say! but I will have none of it, never mind what it is. A pretty fool I should make of myself, indeed, waked up here in the middle of the night, stuffing and guzzling, and all to make a fat meal for a parcel of bloody-minded cannibals one of these mornings! No, I see what they are at very plainly, so I am resolved to starve myself into a bunch of bones and gristle, and TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 127 then, if they serve me up, they are welcome! But I say, Tommo, you are not going to eat of that mess there, in the dark, are you? Why, how can you tell what it is?" "By tasting it, to be sure," said I, masticating a mor sel that Kory-Kory had just put in my mouth; "and excellently good it is too, very much like veal." "A baked baby, by the soul of Captain Cook!" burst forth Toby, with amazing vehemence. "Veal! why there never was a calf on the island till you landed. I tell you you are bolting down mouthfuls from a dead Hap- par s carcass, as sure as you live, and no mistake!" What a sensation in the abdominal regions! Sure enough, where could the fiends incarnate have obtained meat? But I resolved to satisfy myself at all hazards; and turning to Mehevi, I soon made the ready chief understand that I wished a light to be brought. When the taper came, I gazed eagerly into the vessel, and recognized the mutilated remains of a juvenile porker! "Puarkee!" exclaimed Kory-Kory, looking complacently at the dish; and from that day to this I have never for gotten that such is the designation of a pig in the Typee lingo. The next morning, after being again abundantly feasted by the hospitable Mehevi, Toby and myself arose to depart. But the chief requested us to postpone our intention. "Abo, abo," (Wait, wait,) he said, and ac cordingly we resumed our seats, while, assisted by the zealous Kory-Kory, he appeared to be engaged in giving directions to a number of the natives outside, who were busily employed in making arrangements, the nature of which we could not comprehend. But we were not left long in our ignorance, for a few moments only had elapsed when the chief beckoned us to approach, and 128 TYPEE we perceived that he had been marshalling a kind of guard of honour to escort us on our return to the house of Marheyo. The procession was led off by two venerable-looking savages, each provided with a spear, from the end of which streamed a pennon of milk-white tappa. After them went several youths, bearing aloft calabashes of poee-poee, and followed in their turn by four stalwart fellows sustaining long bamboos, from the tops of which hung suspended, at least twenty feet from the ground, large baskets of green bread-fruit. Then came a troop of boys, carrying bunches of ripe bananas, and baskets made of the woven leaflets of cocoa-nut boughs, filled with the young fruit of the tree, the naked shells stripped of their husks peeping forth from the verdant wicker- work that surrounded them. Last of all came a burly islander, holding over his head a wooden trencher, in which lay disposed the remnants of our midnight feast, hidden from view, however, by a covering of bread fruit leaves. Astonished as I was at this exhibition, I could not avoid smiling at its grotesque appearance and the as sociations it naturally called up. Mehevi, it seemed, was bent on replenishing old Marheyo s larder, fearful perhaps that without this precaution his guests might not fare as well as they could desire. As soon as I descended from the pi-pi, the -procession formed anew, enclosing us in its centre, where I re mained, part of the time carried by Kory-Kory, and occasionally relieving him from his burden by limping along with a spear. When we moved off in this order, the natives struck up a musical recitative, which, with various alternations, they continued until we arrived at the place of our destination. TERRORS IN THE TABOO GROVES 129 As we proceeded on our way, bands of young girls, darting from the surrounding groves, hung upon our skirts, and accompanied us with shouts of merriment and delight which almost drowned the deep notes of the recitative. On approaching old Marheyo s domi cile, its inmates rushed out to receive us; and while the gifts of the Mehevi were being disposed of, the super annuated warrior did the honours of his mansion with all the warmth of hospitality evinced by an English squire when he regales his friends at some fine old patrimonial mansion. CHAPTER XIII PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY AMIDST these novel scenes a week passed away almost imperceptibly. The natives, actuated by some myste rious impulse, day after day redoubled their attentions to us. Their manner towards us was unaccountable. Surely, thought I, they would not act thus if they meant us any harm. But why this excess of deferential kindness, or what equivalent can they imagine us capa ble of rendering them for it? We were fairly puzzled. But despite the apprehen sions I could not dispel, the horrible character imputed to these Typees appeared to me wholly undeserved. "Why, they are cannibals!" said Toby on one occa sion when I eulogised the tribe. "Granted," I replied, "but a more humane, gentle manly, and amiable set of epicures do not probably exist in the Pacific." But, notwithstanding the kind treatment we received, I was too familiar with the fickle disposition of savages not to feel anxious to withdraw from the valley and put myself beyond the reach of that fearful death which, under all these smiling appearances, might yet menace us. But here there was an obstacle in the way of doing so. It was idle for me to think of moving from the place until I should have recovered from the severe lameness that afflicted me; indeed my malady began seriously to alarm me; for, despite the herbal remedies of the natives, it continued to grow worse and worse. 130 PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY 131 Their mild applications, though they soothed the pain, did not remove the disorder, and I felt convinced that without better aid I might anticipate long and acute suffering. But how was this aid to be procured? From the surgeons of the French fleet, which probably still lay in the bay of Nukuheva, it might easily have been obtained, could I have made my case known to them. But how could that be effected? At that, in the exigency to which I was reduced, I proposed to Toby that he should endeavour to go round to Nukuheva, and if he could not succeed in returning to the valley by water, in one of the boats of the squadron, and taking me off, he might at least procure me some proper medicines and effect his return overland. My companion listened to me in silence, and at first did not appear to relish the idea. The truth was, he felt impatient to escape from the place, and wished to avail himself of our present high favour with the natives to make good our retreat, before we should experience some sudden alteration in their behaviour. As he could not think of leaving me in my helpless condition, he implored me to be of good cheer, assured me that I should soon be better and enabled in a few days to return with him to Nukuheva. Added to this, he could not bear the idea of again re turning to this dangerous place; and as for the expecta tion of persuading the Frenchmen to detach a boat s crew for the purpose of rescuing me from the Typees, he looked upon it as idle, and with arguments that I could not answer urged the improbability of their provoking the hostilities of the clan by any such measure, espe cially as, for the purpose of quieting its apprehensions, they had as yet refrained from making any visit to the 132 TYPEE bay. "And even should they consent/ said Toby, "they would only produce a commotion in the valley, in which we might both be sacrificed by these ferocious islanders." This was unanswerable; but still I clung to the belief that he might succeed in accomplishing the other part of my plan and at last I overcame his scruples, and he agreed to make the attempt. As soon as we succeeded in making the natives under stand our intention, they broke out into the most vehe ment opposition to the measure, and for a while I almost despaired of obtaining their consent. At the bare thought of one of us leaving them, they manifested the most lively concern. The grief and consternation of Kory- Kory, in particular, was unbounded; he threw himself into a perfect paroxysm of gestures, which were intended to convey to us not only his abhorrence of Nukuheva and its uncivilised inhabitants, but also his astonishment that, after becoming acquainted with the enlightened Typees, we should evince the least desire to withdraw, even for a time, from their agreeable society. However, I overbore his objections by appealing to my lameness, from which I assured the natives I should speedily recover if Toby were permitted to obtain the supplies I needed. It was agreed that on the following morning my com panion should depart, accompanied by some one or two of the household, who should point out to him an easy route by which the bay might be reached before sunset. At early dawn of the next day, our habitation was astir. One of the young men mounted into an adjoining cocoa-nut tree and threw down a number of the young fruit, which old Marheyo quickly stripped of the green husks and strung together upon a short pole. These were intended to refresh Toby on his route. PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY 133 The preparations being completed, with no little emotion I bade my companion adieu. He promised to return in three days at farthest; and, bidding me keep up my spirits in the interval, turned round the corner of the pi-pi, and, under the guidance of the venerable Marheyo, was soon out of sight. His departure op pressed me with melancholy, and, re-entering the dwell ing, I threw myself almost in despair upon the matting of the floor. In two hours time the old warrior returned, and gave me to understand that, after accompanying my companion a little distance and showing him the route, he had left him journeying on his way. It was about noon of this same day, a season which these people are wont to pass in sleep, that I lay in the house, surrounded by its slumbering inmates, and pain fully affected by the strange silence which prevailed. All at once I thought I heard a faint shout, as if pro ceeding from some persons in the depth of the grove which extended in front of our habitation. The sounds grew louder and nearer, and gradually the whole valley rang with wild outcries. The sleep ers around me started to their feet in alarm, and hurried outside to discover the cause of the commotion. Kory- Kory, who had been the first to spring up, soon re turned almost breathless, and nearly frantic with the excitement under which he seemed to be labouring. All that I could understand from him was that some accident had happened to Toby. Apprehensive of some dreadful calamity, I rushed out of the house, and caught sight of a tumultuous crowd, who, with shrieks and lamentations, were just emerging from the grove bear ing in their arms some object, the sight of which pro duced all this transport of sorrow. As they drew near, 134 TYPEE the men redoubled their cries, while the girls, tossing their bare arms in the air, exclaimed plaintively, "Awha! awha! Toby mukee moee!" Alas! alas! Toby is killed! In a moment the crowd opened, and disclosed the apparently lifeless body of my companion borne between two men, the head hanging heavily against the breast of the foremost. The whole face, neck, and bosom were covered with blood, which still trickled slowly from a wound behind the temple. In the midst of the greatest uproar and confusion the body was carried into the house and laid on a mat. Waving the natives off to give room and air, I bent eagerly over Toby, and, laying my hand upon the breast, ascertained that the heart still beat. Overjoyed at this, I seized a calabash of water, and dashed its contents upon his face, then, wiping away the blood, anxiously examined the wound. It was about three inches long, and on removing the clotted hair from about it, showed the skull laid com pletely bare. Immediately with my knife I cut away the heavy locks, and bathed the part repeatedly in water. In a few moments Toby revived, and opening his eyes for a second, closed them again without speaking. Kory-Kory, who had been kneeling beside me, now chafed his limbs gently with the palms of his hands, while a young girl at his head kept fanning him, and I still continued to moisten his lips and brow. Soon my poor comrade showed signs of animation, and I suc ceeded in making him swallow from a cocoa-nut shell a few mouthfuls of water. Old Tinor now appeared, holding in her hand some simples she had gathered, the juice of which she by signs besought me to squeeze into the wgund. Having PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY 135 done so, I thought it best to leave Toby undisturbed until he should have had time to rally his faculties. Several times he opened his lips, but fearful for his safety I enjoined silence. In the course of two or three hours, however, he sat up, and was sufficiently recovered to tell me what had occurred. "After leaving the house with Marheyo," said Toby, "we struck across the valley and ascended the opposite heights. Just beyond them, my guide informed me, lay the valley of Happar, while along their summits, and skirting the head of the vale, was my route to Nukuheva. "After mounting a little way up the elevation my guide paused, and gave me to understand that he could not accompany me any farther., and by various signs intimated that he was afraid to approach any nearer the territories of the enemies of his tribe. He, how ever, pointed out my path, which now lay clearly before me, and bidding me farewell, hastily descended the mountain. "Quite elated at being so near the Happars, I pushed up the acclivity, and soon gained its summit. It tapered up to a sharp ridge, from whence I beheld both the hostile valleys. Here I sat down and rested for a moment, refreshing myself with my cocoa-nuts. I was soon again pursuing my way along the height, when suddenly I saw three of the islanders, who must have just come out of Happar valley, standing in the path ahead of me. They were each armed with a heavy spear, and one from his appearance I took to be a chief. They sung out something, I could not understand what, and beckoned me to come on. "Without the least hesitation I advanced towards them, and approached within about a yard of the 136 TYPEE foremost, when, pointing angrily into the Typee valley, and uttering some savage exclamation, he wheeled round his weapon like lightning, and struck me in a moment to the ground. The blow inflicted this wound, and took away my senses. As soon as I came to myself, I perceived the three islanders standing a little distance off, and apparently engaged in some violent altercation respecting me. "My first impulse was to run for it; but, in en deavouring to rise, I fell back and rolled down a little grassy precipice. The shock seemed to rally my facul ties; so, starting to my feet, I fled down the path I had just ascended. I had no need to look behind me, for, from the yells I heard, I knew that my enemies were in full pursuit. Urged on by their fearful outcries, and heedless of the injury I had received though the blood flowing from the wound trickled over into my eyes and almost blinded me I rushed down the moun tain side with the speed of the wind. In a short time I had descended nearly a third of the distance, and the savages had ceased their cries, when suddenly a terrific howl burst upon my ear, and at the same moment a heavy javelin darted past me as I fled, and stuck quiver ing in a tree close to me. Another yell followed, a second spear and a third shot through the air within a few feet of my body, both of them piercing the ground obliquely in advance of me. The fellows gave a roar of rage and disappointment; but they were afraid, I suppose, of coming down further into the Typee valley, and so abandoned the chase. I saw them recover their weapons and turn back, and I continued my descent as fast as I could. "What could have caused this ferocious attack on the part of these Happars I could not imagine, unless it PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY 137 were that they had seen me ascending the mountain with Marheyo, and that the mere fact of coming from the Typee valley was sufficient to provoke them. "As long as I was in danger I scarcely felt the wound I had received; but when the chase was over I began to suffer from it. I had lost my hat in my flight, and the sun scorched my bare head. I felt faint and giddy; but, fearful of falling to the ground beyond the reach of as sistance, I staggered on as well as I could, and at last gained the level of the valley, and then down I sunk; and I knew nothing more until I found myself lying upon these mats, and you stooping over me with the calabash of water." Such was Toby s account of this sad affair. I after wards learned that fortunately he had fallen close to a spot where the natives go for fuel. A party of them caught sight of him as he fell, and sounding the alarm, had lifted him up, and after ineffectually endeavouring to restore him at the brook, had hurried forward with him. to the house. This incident threw a dark cloud over our prospects. It reminded us that we were hemmed in by hostile tribes, whose territories we could not hope to pass, on our route to Nukuheva, without encountering the effects of their savage resentment. There appeared to be no avenue opened to our escape but the sea, which washed the lower extremity of the vale. Our Typee friends availed themselves of the recent disaster of Toby to exhort us to a due appreciation of the blessings we enjoyed among them, contrasting their own generous reception of us with the animosity of their neighbours. They likewise dwelt upon the cannibal propensities of the Happars, a subject which they were perfectly aware could not fail to alarm us, while at the 138 TYPEE same time they earnestly disclaimed all participation in so horrid a custom. Nor did they omit to call upon us to admire the natural loveliness of their own abode, and the lavish abundance with which it produced all manner of luxuriant fruits, exalting it in this particular above any of the surrounding valleys. Kory-Kory seemed to experience so heartfelt a desire to infuse into our minds proper views on these subjects that, assisted in his endeavours by the little knowledge of the language we had acquired, he actually succeeded in making us comprehend a considerable part of what he said. To facilitate our correct apprehension of his meaning, he at first condensed his ideas into the small est possible compass. "Happar keekeeno nuee," he exclaimed: "nuee, nuee, ki ki kanaka! ah! owle motarkee!" which signifies "Terrible fellows those Happars! devour an amazing quantity of men! ah, shocking bad!" Thus far he explained himself by a variety of gestures, during the performance of which he would dart out of the house, and point abhorrently towards the Happar valley, run ning in to us again with a rapidity that showed he was fearful we would lose one part of his meaning before he could complete the other, and continuing his illustra tions by seizing the fleshy part of my arm in his teeth, intimating by the operation that the people who lived over in that direction would like nothing better than to treat me in that manner. Having assured himself that we were fully enlightened on this point, he proceeded to another branch of his sub ject. "Ah! Typee motarkee! nuee, nuee mioree nuee, nuee wai nuee, nuee poee-poee nuee, nuee kokoo ah ! nuee nuee kiki ah ! nuee, nuee, nuee ! " Which, literally interpreted as before, would imply, PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF TOBY 139 "Ah, Typee! isn t it a fine place though! no danger of starving here, I tell you! plenty of bread-fruit plenty of water plenty of pudding ah! plenty of everything! ah! heaps, heaps, heaps!" All this was accompanied by a running commentary of signs and ges tures which it was impossible not to comprehend. As he continued his harangue, however, Kory-Kory, in emulation of our more polished orators, began to laur ch out rather diffusely into other branches of his subject, enlarging, probably, upon the moral reflections it sug gested, and proceeded in such a strain of unintelligible and stunning gibberish that he actually gave me the headache for the rest of the day. CHAPTER XIV SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY IN the course of a few days Toby had recovered from the effects of his adventure with the Happar warriors, the wound on his head rapidly healing under the vegetable treatment of the good Tinor. Less fortunate than my companion, however, I still continued to languish under a complaint the origin and nature of which were still a mystery. Cut off as I was from all intercourse with the civilised world, and feeling the inefficiency of anything the natives could do to relieve me; knowing too, that so long as I remained in my present condition, it would be impossible for me to leave the valley, whatever opportunity might present itself, and apprehensive that ere long we might be exposed to some caprice on the part of the Islanders, I now gave up all hopes of recov ery, and became a prey to the most gloomy thoughts. A deep dejection fell upon me, which neither the friendly remonstrances of my companion, the devoted attentions of Kory-Kory, nor all the soothing influences of Fayaway could remove. One morning as I lay on the mats in the house, plunged in melancholy reverie and regardless of every thing around me, Toby, who had left me about an hour, returned in haste, and with great glee told me to cheer up and be of good heart; for he believed, from what was going on among the natives, that there were boats approaching the bay. These tidings operated upon me like magic. The 140 SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 141 hour of our deliverance was at hand, and starting up, I was soon convinced that something unusual was about to occur. The word, "botee! botee!" was vociferated in all directions; and shouts were heard in the distance, at first feebly and faintly, but growing louder and nearer at each successive repetition, until they were caught up by a fellow in a cocoa-nut tree a few yards off, who sounding them in turn, they were reiterated from a neighbouring grove, and so died away gradually from point to point, as the intelligence penetrated into the farthest recesses of the valley. This was the vocal tele graph of the islanders, by means of which condensed items of information could be carried in a very few minutes from the sea to their remotest habitation, a dis tance of at least eight or nine miles. On the present oc casion it was in active operation, one piece of informa tion following another with inconceivable rapidity. The greatest commotion now appeared to prevail. At every fresh item of intelligence the natives betrayed the liveliest interest, and redoubled the energy with which they employed themselves in collecting fruit to sell to the expected visitors. Some were tearing off the husks from cocoa-nuts; some perched in the trees were throw ing down bread-fruit to their companions, who gathered them into heaps as they fell; while others were plying their fingers rapidly in weaving leafen baskets in which to carry the fruit. There were other matters too going on at the same time. Here you would see a stout warrior polishing his spear with a bit of old tappa, or adjusting the folds of the girdle about his waist; and there you might descry a young damsel decorating herself with flowers, as if having in her eyes some maidenly conquest; while, as in all cases of hurry and confusion in every part of the 142 TYPEE world, a number of individuals kept hurrying to and fro, with amazing vigour and perseverance, doing nothing themselves, and hindering others. Never before had we seen the islanders in such a state of bustle and excitement; and the scene furnished abun dant evidence of the fact that it was only at long in tervals any such events occur. When I thought of the length of time that might inter vene before a similar chance of escape would be pre sented, I bitterly lamented that I had not the power of availing myself effectually of the present opportunity. From all that we could gather, it appeared that the natives were fearful of arriving too late upon the beach, unless they made extraordinary exertions. Sick and lame as I was, I would have started with Toby at once, had not Kory-Kory not only refused to carry me, but manifested the most invincible repugnance to our leav ing the neighbourhood of the house. The rest of the savages were equally opposed to our wishes, and seemed grieved and astonished at the earnestness of my solicita tions. I clearly perceived that while my attendant avoided all appearance of constraining my movements, he was nevertheless determined to thwart my wish. He seemed to me on this particular occasion, as well as often afterwards, to be executing the orders of some other persons with regard to me, though at the same time feel ing towards me the most lively affection. Toby, who had made up his mind to accompany the islanders if possible as soon as they were in readiness to depart, and who for that reason had refrained from showing the same anxiety that I had done, now repre sented to me that it was idle for me to entertain the hope of reaching the beach in time to profit by any opportunity that might then be presented. SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 143 "Do you not see," said he, "the savages themselves are fearful of being too late, and I should hurry forward myself at once did I not think that if I showed too much eagerness I should destroy all our hopes of reap ing any benefit from this fortunate event. If you will only endeavour to appear tranquil or unconcerned, you will quiet their suspicions, and I have no doubt they will then let me go with them to the beach, supposing that I merely go out of curiosity. Should I succeed in getting down to the boats, I will make known the con dition in which I have left you, and measures may then be taken to secure our escape. In the expediency of this I could not but acquiesce; and as the natives had now completed their prepara tions, I watched with liveliest interest the reception that Toby s application might meet with. As soon as they understood from my companion that I intended to remain, they appeared to make no objection to his prop osition, and even hailed it with pleasure. Their singu lar conduct on this occasion not a little puzzled me at the time, and imparted to subsequent events an addi tional mystery. The islanders were now to be seen hurrying along the path which led to the sea. I shook Toby warmly by the hand, and gave him my Payta hat to shield his wounded head from the sun, as he had lost his own. He cordially returned the pressure of my hand, and sol emnly promising to return as soon as the boats should leave the shore, sprang from my side, and the next min ute disappeared in a turn of the grove. In spite of the unpleasant reflections that crowded upon my mind, I could not but be entertained by the novel and animated sight which now met my view. One after another the natives crowded along the narrow 144 TYPEE path, laden with every variety of fruit. Here, you might have seen one who, after ineffectually endeavour ing to persuade a surly porker to be conducted in lead ing strings, was obliged at last to seize the perverse animal in his arms, and carry him struggling against his naked breast and squealing without intermission. There went two who at a little distance might have been taken for the Hebrew spies, on their return to Moses with the goodly bunch of grapes. One trotted before the other at a distance of a couple of yards, while between them, from a pole resting on their shoulders, was suspended a huge cluster of bananas, which swayed to and fro with the rocking gait at which they pro ceeded. Here ran another, perspiring with his exer tions, and bearing before him a quantity of cocoa-nuts, who, fearful of being too late, heeded not the fruit that dropped from his basket, and appeared solely intent upon reaching his destination, careless how many of his cocoa-nuts kept company with him. In a short time the last straggler was seen hurrying on his way, and the faint shouts of those in advance died insensibly upon the ear. Our part of the valley now appeared nearly deserted by its inhabitants, Kory- Kory, his aged father, and a few decrepit old people being all that were left. Towards sunset the islanders in small parties began to return from the beach, and among them, as they drew near to the house, I sought to descry the form of my companion. But one after another they passed the dwelling, and I caught no glimpse of him. Supposing, however, that he would soon appear with some of the members of the household, I quieted my apprehensions, and waited patiently to see him advancing in company with the beautiful Fayaway. At last I perceived Tinor SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 145 coming forward, followed by the girls and young men who usually resided in the house of Marheyo; but with them came not my comrade, and, filled with a thousand alarms, I eagerly sought to discover the cause of his delay. My earnest questions appeared to embarrass the natives greatly. All their accounts were contradictory, one giving me to understand that Toby would be with me in a very short time; another that he did not know where he was; while a third, violently inveighing against him, assured me that he had stolen away and would never come back. It appeared to me, at the time, that in making these various statements they en deavored to conceal from me some terrible disaster, lest the knowledge of it should overpower me. Fearful lest some fatal calamity had overtaken him, I sought out young Fayaway, and endeavored to learn from her, if possible, the truth. This gentle being had early attracted my regard, not only from her extraordinary beauty, but from the attractive cast of her countenance, singularly expressive of intelligence and humanity. Of all the natives she alone seemed to appreciate the effect which the pecul iarity of the circumstances in which we were placed had produced upon the minds of my companion and myself. In addressing me especially when I lay reclining upon the mats suffering from pain there was a tenderness in her manner which it was impossible to misunderstand or resist. Whenever she entered the house, the ex pression of her face indicated the liveliest sympathy for me; and moving towards the place where I lay, with one arm slightly elevated in a gesture of pity and her large glistening eyes gazing intently into mine, she would murmur plaintively, "Awha! awha! Tommo," and seat herself mournfully beside me. 146 TYPEE Her manner convinced me that she deeply compas sionated my situation, as being removed from my coun try and friends and placed beyond the reach of all relief. Indeed, at times I was almost led to believe that her mind was swayed by gentle impulses hardly to be anticipated from one in her condition; that she appeared to be conscious there were ties rudely severed, which had once bound us to our homes; that there were sisters and brothers anxiously looking forward to our return, who were, perhaps, never more to behold us. In this amiable light did Fayaway appear in my eyes; and reposing full confidence in her candour and intelli gence, I now had recourse to her, in the midst of my alarm, with regard to my companion. My questions evidently distressed her. She looked round from one to another of the bystanders, as if hardly knowing what answer to give me. At last, yielding to my importunities, she overcame her scruples, and gave me to understand that Toby had gone away with the boats which had visited the bay, but had prom ised to return at the expiration of three days. At first I accused him of perfidiously deserting me; but as I grew more composed, I upbraided myself for imputing so cowardly an action to him, and tranquillized myself with the belief that he had availed himself of the opportunity to go round to Nukuheva, in order to make some arrangement by which I could be removed from the valley. At any rate, thought I, he will return with the medicines I require, and then, as soon as I recover, there will be no difficulty in the way of our departure. Consoling myself with these reflections, I lay down that night in a happier frame of mind than I had done for some time. The next day passed without any allu sion to Toby on the part of the natives, who seemed SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 147 desirous of avoiding all reference to the subject. This raised some apprehensions in my breast; but when night came, I congratulated myself that the second day had now gone by, and that on the morrow Toby would again be with me. But the morrow came and went, and my companion did not appear. Ah! thought I, he reckons three days from the morning of his departure to-morrow he will arrive. But that weary day also closed upon me, without his return. Even yet I would not despair; I thought that something detained him - that he was waiting for the sailing of a boat, at Nuku- heva, and that in a day or two at farthest I should see him again. But day after day of renewed disappoint ment passed by; at last hope deserted me, and I fell a victim of despair. Yes, thought I, gloomily, he has secured his own escape, and cares not what calamity may befall his un fortunate comrade. Fool that I was, to suppose that any one would willingly encounter the perils of this valley, after having once got beyond its limits! He has gone, and has left me to combat alone all the dangers by which I am surrounded. Thus would I sometimes seek to derive a desperate consolation from dwelling upon the perfidy of Toby, whilst at other times I sunk under the bitter remorse which I felt as having by my own imprudence brought upon myself the fate which I was sure awaited me. At other times I thought that perhaps after all these treacherous savages have made away with him, and thence the confusion into which they were thrown by my questions, and their contradictory answers, or he might be a captive in some other part of the valley; or, more dreadful still, might have met with that fate at which my very soul shuddered. But all these specula- 148 TYPEE tions were vain; no tidings of Toby ever reached me; he had gone never to return. The conduct of the islanders appeared inexplicable. All reference to my lost comrade was carefully evaded, and if at any time they were forced to make some reply to my frequent inquiries on the subject, they would uniformly denounce him as an ungrateful runaway, who had deserted his friend, and taken himself off to that vile and detestable place, Nukuheva. But whatever might have been his fate, now that he was gone the natives multiplied their acts of kindness and attention towards myself, treating me with a degree of deference which could hardly have been surpassed had I been some celestial visitant. Kory-Kory never for one moment left my side, unless it were to execute my wishes. The faithful fellow, twice every day, in the cool of the morning and in the evening, insisted upon carrying me to the stream and bathing me in its re freshing water. Frequently in the afternoon he would carry me to a particular part of the stream, where the beauty of the scene produced a soothing influence upon my mind. At this place the waters flowed between grassy banks, planted with enormous bread-fruit trees, whose vast branches, interlacing overhead, formed a leafy panopy. Near the stream were several smooth black rocks. One of these, projecting several feet above the surface of the water, had upon its summit a shallow cavity which, filled with freshly-gathered leaves, formed a delightful couch. Here I often lay for hours, covered with a gauze-like veil of tappa, while Fayaway, seated beside me and holding in her hand a fan woven from the leaflets of a young cocoa-nut bough, brushed aside the insects that SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 149 occasionally lighted on my face, and Kory-Kory, with a view of chasing away my melancholy, performed a thou sand antics in the water before us. As my eye wandered along this romantic stream, it would fall upon the half -immersed figure of a beautiful girl, standing in the transparent water, and catching in a little net a species of diminutive shell-fish, of which these people were extravagantly fond. Sometimes a chat tering group would be seated upon the edge of a low rock in the midst of the brook, busily engaged in thin ning and polishing the shells of cocoa-nuts by rubbing them briskly with a small stone in the water, an opera tion which soon converts them into a light and elegant drinking vessel, somewhat resembling goblets made of tortoise shell. But the tranquillizing influences of beautiful scenery, and the exhibition of human life under so novel and charming an aspect, were not my only sources of conso lation. Every evening the girls of the house gathered about me on the mats, and after chasing away Kory-Kory from my side who, nevertheless, retired only to a little dis tance and watched their proceedings with the most jeal ous attention would anoint my whole body with a fragrant oil, squeezed from a yellow root, previously pounded between a couple of stones, and which in their language is denominated "aka." And most refreshing and agreeable are the juices of the "aka" when applied to one s limbs by the soft palms of sweet nymphs, whose bright eyes are beaming upon you with kindness; and I used to hail with delight the daily recurrence of this luxurious operation, in which I forgot all my troubles, and buried for the time every feeling of sorrow. Sometimes in the cool of the evening my devoted ser- 150 TYPEE vitor would lead me out upon the pi-pi in front of the house, and seating me near its edge, protect my body from the annoyances of the insects which occasionally hovered in the air by wrapping me round with a large roll of tappa. He then bustled about, and employed himself at least twenty minutes in adjusting everything to secure my personal comfort. Having perfected his arrangements, he would get my pipe, and, lighting it, would hand it to me. Often he was obliged to strike a light for the occasion, and as the mode he adopted was entirely different from what I had ever seen or heard of before, I will describe it. A straight, dry, and partly decayed stick of the Hi biscus, about six feet in length, and half as many inches in diameter, with a smaller bit of wood not more than a foot long and scarcely an inch wide, is as invariably to be met with in every house in Typee as a box of lucifer matches in the corner of the kitchen cupboard at home. The islander, placing the larger stick obliquely against some object, with one end elevated at an angle of forty- five degrees, mounts astride of it like an urchin about to gallop off upon a cane, and then grasping the smaller one firmly in both hands, he rubs its pointed end slowly up and down the extent of a few inches on the principal stick, until at last he makes a narrow groove in the wood, with an abrupt termination at the point furthest from him, where all the dusty particles which the fric tion creates are accumulated in a little heap. At first Kory-Kory goes to work quite leisurely, but gradually quickens his pace, and waxing warm in the employment, drives the stick furiously along the smok ing channel, plying his hands to and fro with amazing rapidity, the perspiration starting from every pore. As he approaches the climax of his effort, he pants and SOMETHING BEFALLS TOBY 151 gasps for breath, and his eyes almost start from their sockets with the violence of his exertions. This is the critical stage of the operation; all his previous labours are vain if he cannot sustain the rapidity of the move ment until the reluctant spark is produced. Suddenly he stops, becomes perfectly motionless. His hands still retain their hold of the smaller stick, which is pressed convulsively against the further end of the channel among the fine powder there accumulated, as if he had just pierced through and through some little viper that was wriggling and struggling to escape from his clutches. The next moment a delicate wreath of smoke curls spirally into the air, the heap of dusty particles glow with fire, and Kory-Kory, almost breathless, dismounts from his steed. This operation appeared to me to be the most laborious species of work performed in Typee ; and had I possessed a sufficient intimacy with the language to have conveyed my ideas upon the subject, I should certainly have sug gested to the most influential of the natives the expedi ency of establishing a college of vestals to be centrally located in the valley, for the purpose of keeping alive the indispensable article of fire, so as to supersede the necessity of such a vast outlay of strength and good temper as were usually squandered on these occasions. There might, however, be special difficulties in carry ing this plan into execution.. What a striking evidence does this operation furnish of the wide difference between the extreme of savage and civilised life. A gentleman of Typee can bring up a numerous family of children and give them all a highly respectable cannibal education with infinitely less toil and anxiety than he expends in the simple pro cess of striking a light; whilst a poor European artisan, 152 TYPEE who through the instrumentality of a lucifer performs the same operation in one second, is put to his wit s end to provide for his starving offspring that food which the children of a Polynesian father, without troubling their parent, pluck from the branches of every tree round them. CHAPTER XV BREAD-FRUIT ALL the inhabitants of the valley treated me with great kindness; but as to the household of Marheyo, with whom I was now permanently domiciled, nothing could surpass their efforts to minister to my comfort. To the gratification of my palate they paid the most unwearied attention. They continually invited me to partake of food, and when after eating heartily I de clined the viands they continued to offer me, they seemed to think that my appetite stood in need of some piquant stimulant to excite its activity. In pursuance of this idea, old Marheyo himself would hie him away to the sea-shore by the break of day, for the purpose of collecting various species of rare sea weed, some of which among these people are considered a great luxury. After a whole day spent in this em ployment, he would return about nightfall with several cocoa-nut shells filled with different descriptions of kelp. In preparing these for use he manifested all the ostentation of a professed cook, although the chief mys tery of the affair appeared to consist in pouring water in judicious quantities upon the slimy contents of his cocoa-nut shells. The first time he submitted one of these saline salads to my critical attention I naturally thought that any thing collected at such pains must possess peculiar merits; but a mouthful was a complete dose, and great 153 i$4 TYPEE was the consternation of the old warrior at the rapidity with which I ejected his Epicurean treat. How true it is that the rarity of any particular article enhances its value amazingly. In some part of the val ley I know not where, but probably in the neighbour hood of the sea the girls were sometimes in the habit of procuring small quantities of salt, a thimbleful or so being the result of the united labours of a party of five or six employed for the greater part of the day. This precious commodity they brought to the house, enveloped in multitudinous folds of leaves, and as a special mark of the esteem in which they held me, would spread an immense leaf on the ground, and dropping one by one a few minute particles of the salt upon it, invite me to taste them. From the extravagant value placed upon the article, I verily believe that with a bushel of common salt all the real estate in Typee might have been purchased. With a small pinch of it in one hand and a quarter sec tion of a bread-fruit in the other, the greatest chief in the valley would have laughed at all the luxuries of a Parisian table. The celebrity of the bread-fruit tree and the conspic uous place it occupies in a Typee bill of fare induce me to give at some length a general description of the tree and the various modes in which the fruit is prepared. The bread-fruit tree, in its glorious prime, is a grand and towering object, forming the same feature in a Mar- quesan landscape that the patriarchial elm does in New England scenery. The latter tree it not a little resem bles in height, in the wide spread of its stalwart branches, and in its venerable and imposing aspect. The leaves of the bread-fruit tree are of a great size, and their edges are cut and scalloped as fantastically as BREAD-FRUIT 155 those of a lady s lace collar. As they annually tend towards decay, they almost rival in the brilliant variety of their gradually changing hues the fleeting shades of the expiring dolphin. The autumnal tints of our Ameri can forests, glorious as they are, sink into nothing in comparison with this tree. The leaf, in one particular stage, when nearly all the prismatic colours are blended on its surface, is often con verted by the natives into a superb and striking head dress. The principal fibre traversing its length being split open a convenient distance, and the elastic sides of the aperture pressed apart, the head is inserted between them, the leaf drooping on one side, with its forward half turned jauntily up on the brows and the remaining part spreading laterally behind the ears. The fruit somewhat resembles in magnitude and gen eral appearance one of our citron melons of ordinary size ; but, unlike the citron, it has no sectional lines drawn along the outside. Its surface is dotted all over with little conical prominences, looking not unlike the knobs of an antiquated church door. The rind is perhaps an eighth of an inch in thickness; and denuded of this, at the time when it is in the greatest perfection, the fruit presents a beautiful globe of white pulp, the whole of which may be eaten, with the exception of a slender core, which is easily removed. The bread-fruit, however, is never used, and is indeed altogether unfit to be eaten, until submitted in one form or other to the action of fire. The most simple manner in which this operation is performed, and, I think, the best, consists in placing any number of the freshly plucked fruit, when in a particular stage of greenness, among the embers of a fire, in the same way that you would roast a potato. After the lapse 156 TYPEE of ten or fifteen minutes the green rind embrowns and cracks, showing through the fissures in its sides the milk- white interior. As soon as it cools, the rind drops off, and you then have the soft pulp in its purest and most delicious state. Thus eaten, it has a mild and pleasing flavour. Sometimes, after having been roasted in the fire, the natives snatch it briskly from the embers, and permitting it to slip out of the yielding rind into a vessel of cold water, stir up the mixture, which they call "bo-a-sho." I never could endure this compound, and indeed the preparation is not greatly in vogue among the more po lite Typees. There is one form, however, in which the fruit is oc casionally served that renders it a dish fit for a king. As soon as it is taken from the fire the exterior is re moved, the core extracted, and the remaining part is placed in a sort of shallow stone mortar and briskly worked with a pestle of the same substance. While one person is performing this operation, another takes a ripe cocoa-nut, and breaking it in half, which they also do very cleverly, proceeds to grate the juicy meat into fine particles. This is done by means of a piece of mother- of-pearl shell, lashed firmly to the extreme end of a heavy stick, with its straight side accurately notched like a saw. The stick is sometimes a grotesquely-formed limb of a tree, with three or four branches twisting from its body like so many shapeless legs and sustaining it two or three feet from the ground. The native, first placing a calabash beneath the nose, as it were, of his curious-looking log-steed, for the pur pose of receiving the grated fragments as they fall, mounts astride of it as if it were a hobby-horse, and twirling the inside of one of his hemispheres of cocoa-nut BREAD-FRUIT 157 around the sharp teeth of the mother-of-pearl shell, the pure white meat falls in snowy showers into the recep tacle provided. Having obtained a quantity sufficient for his purpose, he places it in a bag made of the net-like fibrous substance attached to all cocoa-nut trees, and compressing it over the bread-fruit which, being now sufficiently pounded, is put into a wooden bowl ex tracts a thick creamy milk. The delicious liquid soon bubbles round the fruit, and leaves it at last just peep ing above its surface. This preparation is called "kokoo," and a most lus cious preparation it is. The hobby-horse and the pestle and mortar were in great requisition during the time I remained in the house of Marheyo, and Kory-Kory had frequent occasion to show his skill in their use. But the great staple articles of food into which the bread-fruit is converted by these natives are known respectively by the names of amar and poee-poee. At certain seasons of the year, when the fruit of the hundred groves of the valley has reached its maturity and hangs in golden spheres from every branch, the islanders assemble in harvest groups and garner in the abundance which surrounds them. The trees are stripped of their nodding burdens, which, easily freed from the rind and core, are gathered together in capa cious wooden vessels, where the pulpy fruit is soon worked by a stone pestle, vigorously applied, into a blended mass of a doughy consistency, called by the natives "tutao." This is then divided into separate parcels, which, after being made up into stout packages, enveloped in successive folds of leaves, and bound round with thongs of bark, are stored away in large receptacles hollowed in the earth, from whence they are drawn as occasion may require. In this condition the tutao sometimes remains for 158 TYPEE years, and even is thought to improve by age. Before it is fit to be eaten, however, it has to undergo an additional process. A primitive oven is scooped in the ground, and its bottom being loosely covered with stones, a large fire is kindled within it. As soon as the requisite de gree of heat is attained, the embers are removed, and the surface of the stones being covered with thick layers of leaves, one of the larger packages of tutao is deposited upon them and overspread with another layer of leaves. The whole is then quickly heaped up with earth, and forms a sloping mound. The tutao thus baked is called "amar," the action of the oven having converted it into an amber-coloured caky substance, a little tart, but not at all disagreeable to the taste. By another and final process the "amar" is changed into "poee-poee." This transition is rapidly effected. The amar is placed in a vessel and mixed with water until it gains a proper pudding-like consistency, when, without further preparation, it is in readiness for use. This is the form in which the "tutao" is generally con sumed. The singular mode of eating it I have already described. Were it not that the bread-fruit is thus capable of being preserved for a length of time, the natives might be reduced to a state of starvation; for owing to some unknown cause the trees sometimes fail to bear fruit, and on such occasions the islanders chiefly depend upon the supplies they have been enabled to store away. This stately tree, which is rarely met with upon the Sandwich Islands, and at Tahiti does not abound to a degree that renders its fruit the principal article of food, attains its greatest excellence in the genial climate of the Marquesan group, where it grows to an enormous magnitude and flourishes in the utmost abundance. CHAPTER XVI AT THE TI IN looking back to this period and calling to re membrance the numberless proofs of kindness and re spect which I received from the natives of the valley, I can scarcely understand how it was that, in the midst of so many consolatory circumstances, my mind should still have been consumed by the most dismal forebod ings and have remained a prey to the profoundest mel ancholy. It is true that the suspicious circumstances which had attended the disappearance of Toby were enough of themselves to excite distrust with regard to the savages, in whose power I felt myself to be entirely placed, especially when it was combined with the knowl edge that these very men, kind and respectful as they were to me, were after all nothing better than a set of cannibals. But my chief source of anxiety, and that which poi soned every temporary enjoyment, was the mysterious disease in my leg, which still remained unabated. All the herbal applications of Tinor, united with the severer discipline of the old leech and the affectionate nursing of Kory-Kory, had failed to relieve me. I was almost a cripple, and the pain I endured at intervals was ago nising. The unaccountable malady showed no signs of amendment; on the contrary, its violence increased day by day, and threatened the most fatal results . unless some powerful means were employed to counteract it. 160 TYPEE It seemed as if I were destined to sink under this grievous affliction, or at least that it would hinder me from avail ing myself of any opportunity of escaping from the valley. An incident which occurred as nearly as I can esti mate about three weeks after the disappearance of Toby convinced me that the natives, from some reason or other, would interpose every possible obstacle to my leaving them. One morning there was no little excitement evinced by the people near my abode, and which I soon dis covered proceeded from a vague report that boats had been seen at a great distance approaching the bay. Immediately all was bustle and animation. It so hap pened that day that the pain I suffered having some what abated, and feeling in much better spirits than usual, I had complied with Kory-Kory s invitation to visit the chief Mehevi at the place called the "Ti," which I have before described as being situated within the precincts of the Taboo Groves. These sacred re cesses were at no great distance from Marheyo s habita tion and lay between it and the sea, the path that con ducted to the beach passing directly in front of the Ti and thence skirting along the border of the groves. I was reposing upon the mats within the sacred build ing, in company with Mehevi and several other chiefs, when the announcement was first made. It sent a thrill of joy through my whole frame perhaps Toby was about to return. I rose at once to my feet, and my instinctive impulse was to hurry down to the beach, equally regardless of the distance that separated me from it and of my disabled condition. As soon as Mehevi noticed the effect the intelligence had produced upon me and the impatience I betrayed to reach the sea, his AT THE TI 161 countenance assumed that inflexible rigidity of expres sion which had so awed me on the afternoon of our arrival at the house of Marheyo. As I was proceeding to leave the Ti, he laid his hand upon my shoulder and said gravely, "Abo, abo" (wait, wait). Solely intent upon the one thought that occupied my mind, and heed less of his request, I was brushing past him, when sud denly he assumed a tone of authority and told me to "moee" (sit down). Though struck by the alteration of his demeanor, the excitement under which I laboured was too strong to permit me to obey the unexpected command, and I was still limping towards the edge of the pi-pi with Kory-Kory clinging to one arm in his efforts to restrain me, when the natives around, starting to their feet, ranged themselves along the open front of the building, while Mehevi looked at me scowlingly and reiterated his commands still more sternly. It was at this moment, when fifty savage counte nances were glaring at me, that I first truly experi enced I was indeed a captive in the valley. The con viction rushed upon me with staggering force, and I was overwhelmed by this confirmation of my worst fears. I saw at once that, it was useless for me to resist, and sick at heart, I reseated myself upon the mats and for the moment abandoned myself to despair. I now perceived the natives one after the other hurry ing past the Ti and pursuing the route that conducted to the sea. These savages, thought I, will soon be holding communication with some of my own country men perhaps, who with ease could restore me to liberty did they know of the situation I am in. No language can describe the wretchedness which I felt; and, in the bitterness of my soul I imprecated a thousand curses on the perfidious Toby, who had thus abandoned me to 1 62 TYPEE destruction. It was in vain that Kory-Kory tempted me with food, or lighted my pipe, or sought to attract my attention by performing the uncouth antics that had sometimes diverted me. I was fairly knocked down by this last misfortune, which, much as I had feared it, I had never before had the courage calmly to contemplate. Regardless of everything but my own sorrow, I re mained in the Ti for several hours, until shouts pro ceeding at intervals from the groves beyond the house proclaimed the return of the natives from the beach. Whether any boats visited the bay that morning or not, I never could ascertain. The savages assured me that there had not but I was inclined to believe that by deceiving me in this particular they sought to allay the violence of my grief. However that might be, this incident showed plainly that the Typees intended to hold me a prisoner. As they still treated me with the same sedulous attention as before, I was utterly at a loss how to account for their singular conduct. Had I been in a situation to instruct them in any of the rudiments of the mechanic arts, or had I manifested a disposition to render myself in any way useful among them, their conduct might have been attributed to some adequate motive, but as it was the matter seemed to me inexpli cable. During my whole stay on the island there occurred but two or three instances where the natives applied to me with the view of availing themselves of my superior information. And these now appear so ludicrous that I cannot forbear relating them. The few things we had brought from Nukuheva had been done up into a small bundle which we had carried with us in our descent to the valley. This bundle, AT THE TI 163 the first night of our arrival, I had used as a pillow, but on the succeeding morning, opening it for the inspection of the natives, they gazed upon the miscel laneous contents as though I had revealed to them a a casket of diamonds, and they insisted that so precious a treasure should be properly secured. A line was accordingly attached to it, and the other end being passed over the ridgepole of the house, it was hoisted up to the apex of the roof, where it hung suspended directly over the mats where I usually reclined. When I desired anything from it I merely raised my finger to a bamboo beside me, and taking hold of the string which was there fastened, lowered the package. This was exceedingly handy, and I took care to let the natives understand how much I applauded the invention. Of this package the chief contents were a razor with its case, a supply of needles and thread, a pound or two of tobacco, and a few yards of bright-colored calico. I should have mentioned that shortly after Toby s disappearance, perceiving the uncertainty of the time I might be obliged to remain in the valley if, indeed, I ever should escape from it and considering that my whole wardrobe consisted of a shirt and a pair of trousers, I resolved to doff these garments at once, in order to preserve them in a suitable condition for wear should I again appear among civilised beings. I was consequently obliged to assume the Typee costume, a little altered, however, to suit my own views of pro priety, and in which I have no doubt I appeared to as much advantage as a senator of Rome enveloped in the folds of his toga. A few folds of yellow tappa, tucked about my waist, descended to my feet in the style of a lady s petticoat. This usually comprised my in-door dress: whenever I walked out, I superadded to it an 1 64 TYPEE ample robe of the same material, which completely enveloped my person and screened it from the rays of the sun. One morning I made a rent in this mantle; and to show the islanders with what facility it could be re paired, I lowered my bundle and, taking from it a needle and thread, proceeded to stitch up the opening. They regarded this wonderful application of science with intense admiration; and whilst I was stitching away, old Marheyo, who was one of the lookers-on, suddenly clapped his hand to his forehead, and rushing to a corner of the house, drew forth a soiled and tattered strip of faded calico which he must have had pro cured some time or other in traffic on the beach and besought me eagerly to exercise a little of my art upon it. I willingly complied, though certainly so stumpy a needle as mine never took such gigantic strides over calico before. The repairs completed, old Marheyo gave me a paternal hug; and divesting himself of his "maro" (girdle), swathed the calico about his loins, and slipping the beloved ornaments into his ears, grasped his spear and sallied out of the house, like a valiant Templar arrayed in a new and costly suit of armour. I never used my razor during my stay in the island, but although a very subordinate affair, it had been vastly admired by the Typees; and Narmonee, a great hero among them, who was exceedingly precise in the arrangements of his toilet and the general adjustment of his person, being the most accurately tattooed and laboriously horrified individual in all the valley, thought it would be a great advantage to have it applied to the already shaven crown of his head. The implement they usually employ is a shark s tooth, which is about as well adapted to the purpose as a one- AT THE TI 165 pronged fork for pitching hay. No wonder, then, that the acute Narmonee perceived the advantage my razor possessed over the usual implement. Accordingly one day he requested as a personal favour that I would just run over his head with the razor. In reply I gave him to understand that it was too dull, and could not be used to any purpose without being previously sharpened. To assist my meaning, I went through an imaginary honing process on the palm of my hand. Narmonee took my meaning in an instant, and running out of the house, returned the next moment with a hugh rough mass of rock as big as a milestone, and indicated to me that that was exactly the thing I wanted. Of course there was nothing left for me but to proceed to business, and I, began scraping away at a great rate. He writhed and wriggled under the infliction, but, fully convinced of my skill, endured the pain like a martyr. Though I never saw Narmonee in battle, I will, from what I then observed, stake my life upon his courage and fortitude. Before commencing operations, his head had presented a surface of short bristling hairs, and by the time I had concluded my unskilful operation it re sembled not a little a stubble field after being gone over with a harrow. However, as the chief expressed the live liest satisfaction at the result, I was too wise to dissent from his opinion. CHAPTER XVII SKIRMISH WITH THE HAPPARS DAY after day wore on, and still there was no per ceptible change in the conduct of the islanders towards me. Gradually I lost all knowledge of the regular occurrence of the days of the week, and sunk insensibly into that kind of apathy which ensues after some vio lent outbreak of despair. My limb suddenly healed, the swelling went down, the pain subsided, and I had every reason to suppose I should soon completely recover from the affliction that had so long tormented me. As soon as I was enabled to ramble about the valley in company with the natives, troops of whom followed me whenever I sallied out of the house, I began to ex perience an elasticity of mind which placed me beyond the reach of those dismal forebodings to which I had so lately been a prey. Received wherever I went with the most deferential kindness, regaled perpetually with the most delightful fruits, ministered to by dark- eyed nymphs, and enjoying besides all the services of the devoted Kory-Kory, I thought that for a sojourn among cannibals, no man could have well made a more agreeable one. To be sure there were limits set to my wanderings. Toward the sea my progress was barred by an express prohibition of the savages; and after having made two or three ineffectual attempts to reach it, as much to gratify my curiosity as anything else, I gave up the idea. 166 SKIRMISH WITH THE HAPPARS 167 It was in vain to think of reaching it by stealth, since the natives escorted me in numbers wherever I went, and not for one single moment that I can recall to mind was I ever permitted to be alone. The green and precipitous elevations that stood ranged around the head of the vale where Marheyo s habitation was situated effectually precluded all hope of escape in that quarter, even if I could have stolen away from the thousand eyes of the savages. But these reflections now seldom obtruded upon me; I gave myself up to the passing hour, and if ever disa greeable thoughts arose in my mind, I drove them away. When I looked around the verdant recess in which I was buried, and gazed up to the summits of the lofty eminence that hemmed me in, I was well disposed to think that I was in the "Happy Valley," and that be yond those heights there was nought but a world of care and anxiety. As I extended my wanderings in the valley and grew more familiar with the habits of its inmates, I was fain to confess that, despite the disadvantages of his condi tion, the Polynesian savage, surrounded by all the lux urious provisions of nature, enjoyed an infinitely hap pier, though certainly a less intellectual existence, than the self-complacent European. The naked wretch who shivers beneath the bleak skies, and starves among the inhospitable wilds of Terra- del-Fuego might indeed be made happier by civilization, for it would alleviate his physical wants. But the voluptuous Indian, with every desire supplied, whom Providence has bountifully provided with all the sources of pure and natural enjoyment, and from whom are re moved so many of the ills and pains of life what has he to desire at the hands of Civilisation? She may 1 68 TYPEE "cultivate his mind," may "elevate his thoughts" these I believe are the established phrases but will he be the happier? Let the once smiling and populous Hawaiian islands, with their now diseased, starving, and dying natives, answer the question. In a primitive state of society, the enjoyments of life, though few and simple, are spread over a great extent, and are unalloyed; but Civilization for every advan tage she imparts holds a hundred evils in reserve; the heart-burnings, the jealousies, the social rivalries, the family dissensions, and the thousand self-inflicted dis comforts of refined life, which make up in units the swelling aggregate of human misery, are unknown among these unsophisticated people. But it will be urged that these shocking, unprincipled wretches are cannibals. Very true; and a rather bad trait in their character it must be allowed. But they are such only when they seek to gratify the passion of revenge upon their enemies; and I ask whether the mere eating of human flesh so very far exceeds in bar barity that custom which only a few years since was practised in enlightened England: A convicted traitor, perhaps a man found guilty of honesty, patriotism, and suchlike heinous crimes, had his head lopped off with a huge axe, his bowels dragged out and thrown into a fire, while his body, carved into four quarters, was with his head exposed upon pikes and permitted to rot and fester among the public haunts of men! In the altered frame of mind to which I have referred, every object that presented itself to my notice in the valley struck me in a new light, and the opportunities I now enjoyed of observing the manners of its inmates tended to strengthen my favorable impressions. One peculiarity that fixed my admiration was the perpetual SKIRMISH WITH THE HAPPARS 169 hilarity reigning through the whole extent of the vale. There seemed to be no cares, griefs, troubles, or vexa tions in all Typee. The hours tripped along as gayly as the laughing couples down a country dance. There were none of those thousand sources of irrita tion that the ingenuity of civilised man has created to mar his own felicity. There were no foreclosures of mortgages, no protested notes, no bills payable, no debts of honour in Typee; no unreasonable tailors and shoemakers, perversely bent on being paid; no duns of any description; no assault and battery attorneys, to foment discord, backing their clients up to a quarrel, and then knocking their heads together; no poor rela tions, everlastingly occupying the spare bed-chamber and diminishing the elbow-room at the family table; no destitute widows with their children starving on the cold charities of the world; no beggars; no debtors prisons; no proud and hard-hearted nabobs in Typee; or to sum up all in one word no Money! "That root of all evil" was not to be found in the valley. In this secluded abode of happiness there were no cross old women, no cruel step-dames, no withered spinsters, no love-sick maidens, no sour old bachelors, no inattentive husbands, no melancholy young men, no blubbering youngsters, and no squalling brats. All was mirth, fun, and high good humour. Blue devils, hypo chondria, and doleful dumps went and hid themselves among the nooks and crannies of the rocks. Here you would see a parcel of children frolicking together the live-long day, and no quarrelling, no con tention among them. The same number in our own land could not have played together for the space of an hour without biting or scratching one another. There you might have seen a throng of young females, not lyo TYPEE filled with envy ings of each other s charms, nor dis playing the ridiculous affectations of gentility, nor yet moving in whalebone corsets, like so many automatons, but free, inartificially happy, and unconstrained. There were some spots in that sunny vale where they would frequently resort to decorate themselves with garlands of flowers. To have seen them reclining be neath the shadows of one of the beautiful groves, the ground about them strewn with freshly gathered buds and blossoms, employed in weaving chaplets and neck laces, one would have thought that all the train of Flora had gathered together to keep a festival in honour of their mistress. With the young men there seemed almost always some matter of diversion or business on hand that afforded a constant variety of enjoyment. But whether fishing, or carving canoes, or polishing their ornaments, never was there exhibited the least sign of strife or contention among them. As for the warriors, they maintained a tranquil dignity of demeanour, journeying occasionally from house to house, where they were always sure to be received with the attention bestowed upon distinguished guests. The old men, of whom there were many in the vale, seldom stirred from their mats, where they would recline for hours and hours, smoking and talking to one another with all the garrulity of age. But the continual happiness which so far as I was able to judge appeared to prevail in the valley sprung principally from that all-pervading sensation which Rousseau has told us he at one time experienced, the mere buoyant sense of a healthful physical existence. And indeed in this particular the Typees had ample reason to felicitate themselves, for sickness was almost SKIRMISH WITH THE HAPPARS - 171 unknown. During the whole period of my stay I saw but one invalid among them, and on their smooth clear skins you observed no blemish or mark of disease. The general repose, however, upon which I have just been descanting was broken in upon about this time by an event which proved that the islanders were not entirely exempt from those occurrences which disturb the quiet of more civilised communities. Having now been a con siderable time in the valley, I began to feel surprised that the violent hostility subsisting between its inhabi tants and those of the adjoining bay of Happar should never have manifested itself in any warlike encounter. Although the valiant Typees would often by gesticula tions declare their undying hatred against their enemies and the disgust they felt at their cannibal propensities, although they dilated upon the manifold injuries they had received at their hands, yet with a forbearance truly commendable, they appeared patiently to sit down under their grievances and to refrain from making any reprisals. The Happars, entrenched behind their moun tains, and never even showing themselves on their sum mits, did not appear to me to furnish adequate cause for that excess of animosity evinced toward them by the heroic tenants of our vale, and I was inclined to believe that the deeds of blood attributed to them had been greatly exaggerated. On the other hand, as the clamours of war had not up to this period disturbed the serenity of the tribe, I began to distrust the truth of those reports which ascribed so fierce and belligerent a character to the Typee nation. Surely, thought I, all these terrible stories I have heard about the inveteracy with which they carried on the feud, their deadly intensity of hatred, and the diabolical malice with which they glutted 1 72 TYPEE their revenge upon the inanimate forms of the slain are nothing more than fables, and I must confess that I experienced something like a sense of regret at having my hideous anticipations thus disappointed. I felt in some sort like a prentice-boy who, going to the play in the expectation of being delighted with a cut-and-thrust tragedy, is almost moved to tears of disappointment at the exhibition of a genteel comedy. I could not avoid thinking that I had fallen in with a greatly traduced people, and I moralised not a little upon the disadvantage of having a bad name, which in this instance had given a tribe of savages who were as pacific as so many lambkins the reputation of a confed eracy of giant-killers. But subsequent events proved that I had been a little too premature in coming to this conclusion. One day about noon, happening to be at the Ti, I had lain down on the mats with several of the chiefs, and had grad ually sunk into a most luxurious siesta, when I was awakened by a tremendous outcry, and starting up be held the natives seizing their spears and hurrying out, while the most puissant of the chiefs, grasping the six muskets which were ranged against the bamboos, fol lowed after and soon disappeared in the groves. These movements were accompanied by wild shouts, in which "Happar, Happar," greatly predominated. The islanders were now to be seen running past the Ti and striking across the valley to the Happar side. Presently I heard the sharp report of a musket from the adjoining hills, and then a burst of voices in the same direction. At this the women, who had congregated in the groves, set up the most violent clamours, as they invariably do here as elsewhere on every occasion of excitement and alarm, with a view of tranquillizing their own minds and SKIRMISH WITH THE HAPPARS 173 disturbing other people. On this particular occasion they made such an outrageous noise, and continued it with such perseverance, that for a while, had entire volleys of musketry been fired off in the neighbouring mountains, I should not have been able to have heard them. When this female commotion had a little subsided I listened eagerly for further information. At last bang went another shot, and then a second volley of yells from the hills. Again all was quiet, and continued so for such a length of time that I began to think the con tending armies had agreed upon a suspension of hostili ties; when pop went a third gun, followed as before with a yell. After this, for nearly two hours nothing occurred worthy of comment save some straggling shouts from the hill-side, sounding like the halloos of a parcel of truant boys who had lost themselves in the woods. During this interval I had remained standing on the piazza of the Ti, which directly fronted the Happar mountain, and with no one near me but Kory-Kory and the superannuated savages I have before described. These latter never stirred from their mats, and seemed altogether unconscious that anything unusual was going on. As for Kory-Kory, he appeared to think that we were in the midst of great events, and sought most zealously to impress me with a due sense of their importance. Every sound that reached us conveyed some momentous item of intelligence to him. At such times, as if he were gifted with second sight, he would go through a variety of pantomimic illustrations, showing me the pre cise manner in which the redoubtable Typees were at that very moment chastising the insolence of the enemy. "Mehevi hanna pippee nuee Happar," he exclaimed every five minutes, giving me to understand that under 174 TYPEE that distinguished captain the warriors of his nation were performing prodigies of valour. Having heard only four reports from the muskets, I was led to believe that they were worked by the islanders in the same manner as the Sultan Solyman s ponderous artillery at the siege of Byzantium, one of them taking an hour or two to load and train. At last, no sound whatever proceeding from the mountains, I concluded that the contest had been determined one way or the other. Such appeared, indeed, to be the case, for in a little while a courier arrived at the Ti, almost breath less with his exertions, and communicated the news of a great victory having been achieved by his countrymen: "Happar poo awa! Happar poo awa!" (the cowards had fled). Kory-Kory was in ecstasies and commenced a vehement harangue, which, so far as I understood it, implied that the result exactly agreed with his expecta tions, and which, moreover, was intended to convince me that it would be a perfectly useless undertaking, even for an army of fire-eaters, to offer battle to the irresistible heroes of our valley. In all this I of course acquiesced, and looked forward with no little interest to the return of the conquerors, whose victory I feared might not have been purchased without cost to them selves. But here I was again mistaken; for Mehevi, in con ducting his warlike operations, rather inclined to the Fabian than to the Bonapartean tactics, husbanding his resources and exposing his troops to no unnecessary hazards. The total loss of the victors in this obstinately contested affair was, in killed, wounded, and missing one forefinger and part of a thumb-nail (which the late proprietor brought along with him in his hand), a severely contused arm, and a considerable effusion of SKIRMISH WITH THE HAPPARS 175 blood flowing from the thigh of a chief, who had received an ugly thrust from a Happar spear. What the enemy had suffered I could not discover, but I presume they had succeeded in taking off with them the bodies of their slain. Such was the issue of the battle, as far as its results came under my observation; and as it appeared to be considered an event of prodigious importance, I reason ably concluded that the wars of the natives were marked by no very sanguinary traits. I afterwards learned how the skirmish had originated. A number of the Happars had been discovered prowling for no good purpose on the Typee side of the mountain; the alarm was sounded, and the invaders, after a protracted resistance, had been chased over the frontier. But why had not the intrepid Mehevi carried the war into Happar? Why had he not made a descent into the hostile vale and brought away some trophy of his victory some materials for the cannibal entertainment which I heard usually terminated every engagement? After all, I was much inclined to believe that such shocking festivals must occur very rarely among the islanders, if, indeed, they ever take place. For two or three days the late event was the theme of general comment, after which the excitement gradu ally wore away, and the valley resumed its accustomed tranquillity. CHAPTER XVIII MARNOO APPEARS RETURNING health and peace of mind gave a new interest to everything around me. I sought to diversify my time by as many enjoyments as lay within reach. Bathing in company with troops of girls formed one of my chief amusements. We sometimes enjoyed the recrea tion in the waters of a miniature lake into which the central stream of the valley expanded. This lovely sheet of water was almost circular in figure, and about three hundred yards across. Its beauty was indescrib able. All around its banks waved luxuriant masses of tropical foliage, soaring high above which was to be seen, here and there the symmetrical shaft of the cocoa- nut tree, surmounted by its tuft of graceful branches drooping in the air like so many waving ostrich plumes. The ease and grace with which the maidens of the valley propelled themselves through the water, and their familiarity with the element, were truly astonishing. Sometimes they might be seen gliding along, just under the surface, without apparently moving hand or foot then throwing themselves on their sides, they darted through the water, revealing glimpses of their forms as, in the course of their rapid progress, they shot for an instant partly into the air at one moment they dived deep down into the water and the next they rose bounding to the surface. I remember upon one occasion plunging in among a 176 MARNOO APPEARS 177 parcel of these river-nymphs, and counting vainly upon my superior strength, sought to drag some of them under the water, but I quickly repented my temerity. The amphibious young creatures swarmed about me like a shoal of dolphins, and seizing hold of my devoted limbs, tumbled me about and ducked me under the sur face, until from the strange noises which rang in my ears, and the supernatural visions dancing before my eyes, I thought I was in the land of spirits. I stood indeed as little chance among them as a cumbersome whale attacked on all sides by a legion of sword-<fish. When at length they relinquished their hold of me, they swam away in every direction, laughing at my clumsy endeavours to reach them. There was no boat on the lake; but at my solicitation and for my special use, some of the young men attached to Marheyo s household, under the direction of the in defatigable Kory-Kory, brought up a light and taste fully-carved canoe from the sea. It was launched upon the sheet of water, and floated there as gracefully as a swan. But, melancholy to relate, it produced an effect I had not anticipated. The sweet nymphs, who had sported with me before in the lake, now all fled its vicinity. The prohibited craft, guarded by the edicts of the "taboo," extended the prohibition to the waters in which it lay. For a few days, Kory-Kory, with one or two other youths, accompanied me in my excursions to the lake, and while I paddled about in my light canoe, would swim after me shouting and gambolling in pursuit. But I was ever partial to what is termed in the Young Men s Own Book "the society of virtuous and intel ligent young ladies," and in the absence of the mer maids, the amusement became dull and insipid. One 1 78 TYPEE morning I expressed to my faithful servitor my desire for the return of the nymphs. The honest fellow looked at me bewildered for a moment, and then shook his head solemnly, and murmured, "Taboo! taboo!" giving me to understand that unless the canoe was removed, I could not expect to have the young ladies back again. But to this procedure I was averse; I not only wanted the canoe to stay where it was, but I wanted the beau teous Fayaway to get into it and paddle with me about the lake. This latter proposition completely horrified Kory-Kory s notions of propriety. He inveighed against it, as something too monstrous to be thought of. It not only shocked their established notions of propriety, but was at variance with all their religious ordinances. However, although the "taboo" was a ticklish thing to meddle with, I determined to test its capabilities of resisting an attack. I consulted the chief Mehevi, who endeavoured to dissuade me from my object; but I was not to be repulsed and accordingly increased the warmth of my solicitations. At last he entered into a long and I have no doubt a very learned and eloquent exposition of the history and nature of the "taboo" as affecting this particular case, employing a variety of most extraordi nary words, which, from their amazing length and sonorousness, I have every reason to believe were of a theological nature. But all that he said failed to convince me partly, perhaps, because I could not com prehend a word that he uttered, but chiefly that for the life of me I could not understand why a woman should not have as much right to enter a canoe as a man. At last he became a little more rational, and intimated that, out of the abundant love he bore me, he would consult with the priests and see what could be done. .How it was that the priesthood of Typee satisfied .the MARNOO APPEARS 179 affair with their consciences, I know not; but so it was, and Fayaway s dispensation from this portion of the taboo was at length procured. Such an event I believe never before had occurred in the valley; but it was high time the islanders should be taught a little gallantry, and I trust that the example I set them may produce beneficial effects. Ridiculous, indeed, that the lovely creatures should be obliged to paddle about in the water, like so many ducks, while a parcel of great strapping fellows skimmed over its surface in their canoes. The first day after Fayaway s emancipation I had a delightful little party on the lake the damsel, Kory- Kory, and myself. My zealous body-servant brought from the house a calabash of poee-poee, half a dozen young cocoa-nuts stripped of their husks three pipes, as many yams, and me on his back a part of the way. Something of a load; but Kory-Kory was a very strong man for his size, and by no means brittle in the spine. We had a very pleasant day; my trusty valet plied the paddle and swept us gently along the margin of the water, beneath the shades of the overhanging thickets. Fayaway and I reclined in the stern of the canoe, on the very best terms with one another; the gentle nymph occasionally placing her pipe to her lip, and exhaling mild fumes of the tobacco, to which, her rosy breath added a fresh perfume. We floated about thus for several hours; when I looked up to the warm, glowing, tropical sky, and then down into the transparent depths below; and when my eye, wandering from the bewitching scenery around, fell upon the grotesquely-tattooed form of Kory-Kory, and finally encountered the pensive gaze of Fayaway, I thought I had been transported to some fairy region, so unreal did everything appear. i8o TYPEE This lovely piece of water was the coolest spot in all the valley, and I now made it a place of continual resort during the hottest period of the day. One side of it lay near the termination of a long gradually expanding gorge, which mounted to the heights that environed the vale. The strong trade wind, met in its course by these elevations, circled and eddied about their summits, and was sometimes driven down the steep ravine and swept across the valley, ruffling in its passage the otherwise tranquil surface of the like. One day, after we had been paddling about for some time, I disembarked Kory-Kory and paddled the canoe to the windward side of the lake. As I turned the canoe, Fayaway, who was with me, seemed all at once to be struck with some happy idea. With a wild ex clamation of delight, she disengaged from her person the ample robe of tappa which was knotted over her shoulder for the purpose of shielding her frqm the sun, and spreading it out like a sail, stood erect with upraised arms in the head of the canoe. We American sailors pride ourselves upon our straight clean spars, but a prettier little mast than Fayaway made was never shipped aboard of any craft. In a moment the tappa was distended by the breeze the long brown tresses of Fayaway streamed in the air j and the canoe glided rapidly through the water and shot towards the shore. Seated in the stern, I directed its course with my paddle until it dashed up the soft sloping bank, and Fayaway, with a light spring, alighted on the ground, whilst Kory-Kory, who had watched our manoeuvres with admiration, now clapped his hands in transport and shouted like a madman. Many a time afterwards was this feat repeated. One afternoon I was lying in the house, when I heard MARNOO APPEARS 181 a great uproar outside; but being by this time pretty well accustomed to the wild halloos which were almost continually ringing through the valley, I paid little attention to it, until old Marheyo, under the influence of some strange excitement, rushed into my presence and communicated the astounding tidings, "Marnoo pemi!" which being interpreted, implied that an individ ual by the name of Marnoo was approaching. My worthy old friend evidently expected that this intelli gence would produce a great effect upon me, and for a time he stood earnestly regarding me, as if curious to see how I should conduct myself, but as I remained perfectly unmoved, the old gentleman darted out of the house again, in as great a hurry as he had entered it. Marnoo, Marnoo," cogitated I, "I have never heard that name before. Some distinguished character, I pre sume, from the prodigious riot the natives are making;" the tumultuous noise drawing nearer and nearer every moment, while "Marnoo! Marnoo!" was shouted by every tongue. I made up my mind that some savage warrior of con sequence, who had not yet enjoyed the honour of an audience, was desirous of paying his respects on the present occasion. So vain had I become by the lavish attention to which I had been accustomed that I felt half inclined, as a punishment for such neglect, to give this Marnoo a cold reception, when the excited throng came within view, convoying one of the most striking specimens of humanity that I ever beheld. The stranger could not have been more than twenty- five years of age, and was a little above the ordinary height; had he been a single hair s breadth taller, the matchless symmetry of his form would have been destroyed. His unclad limbs were beautifully formed; 1 82 TYPEE whilst the elegant outline of his figure, together with his beardless cheeks, might have entitled him to the distinction of standing for the statue of the Polynesian Apollo; and indeed the oval of his countenance and the regularity of every feature reminded me of an antique bust. But the marble repose of art was supplied by a warmth and liveliness of expression only to be seen in the South Sea Islander under the most favourable devel opments of nature. The hair of Marnoo was a rich curling brown, and twined about his temples and neck in little close curling ringlets, which danced up and down continually when he was animated in conversa tion. His cheek was of a feminine softness, and his face was free from the least blemish of tattooing, although the rest of his body was drawn all over with fanciful figures, which unlike the unconnected sketch ing usual among the natives appeared to have been executed in conformity with some general design. The tattooing on his back in particular attracted my attention. The artist employed must indeed have ex celled in his profession. Traced along the course of the spine was accurately delineated the slender, taper ing, and diamond-checkered shaft of the beautiful "artu" tree. Branching from the stem on either side, and dis posed alternately, were the graceful branches drooping with leaves all correctly drawn and elaborately finished. Indeed, this piece of tattooing was the best specimen of the fine arts I had yet seen in Typee. A rear view of the stranger might have suggested the idea of a spread ing vine tacked against a garden wall. Upon his breast, arms, and legs were exhibited an infinite variety of figures, every one of which, however, appeared to have reference to the general effect sought to be produced. The tattooing I have described was of the brightest MARNOO APPEARS 183 blue, and when contrasted with the light olive colour of the skin produced an unique and even elegant effect. A slight girdle of white tappa, scarcely two inches in width, but hanging before and behind in spreading tassels, composed the entire costume of the .stranger. He advanced surrounded by the islanders, carrying under one arm a small roll of the native cloth, and grasping in his other hand a long and richly decorated spear. His manner was that of a traveller conscious that he is approaching a comfortable stage in his jour ney. Every moment he turned good-humoredly to the throng around him, and gave some dashing sort of reply to their incessant queries, which appeared to convulse them with uncontrollable mirth. Struck by his demeanor and the peculiarity of his appearance, so unlike that of the shaven-crowned and face-tattooed natives in general, I involuntarily rose as he entered the house and proffered him a seat on the mats beside me. But without deigning to notice the civility, or even the more incontrovertible fact of my existence, the stranger passed on, utterly regardless of me, and flung himself down upon the farther end of the long couch that traversed the sole apartment of Mar- heyo s habitation. Had the belle of the season, in the pride of her beauty and power, been cut in a place of public resort by some supercilious exquisite, she could not have felt greater indignation than I did at this unexpected slight. I was thrown into utter astonishment. The conduct of the savages had prepared me to anticipate from every new comer the same extravagant expressions of curiosity and regard. This singularity of his conduct, however, only roused my desire to discover who this remarkable per sonage might be who now engrossed the attention of every one. 1 84 TYPEE Tinor placed before him a calabash of poee-poee, from which the stranger regaled himself, alternating every mouthful with some rapid exclamation which was eagerly caught up and echoed by the crowd that completely filled the house. When I observed the striking devotion of the natives to him, and their temporary withdrawal of all attention from myself, I felt not a little piqued. The glory of Tommo is departed, thought I, and the sooner he removes from the valley the better. These were my feelings at the moment, and they were prompted by that glorious principle inherent in all heroic natures the strong-rooted determination to have the biggest share of the pudding or go without any of it. Marnoo, this all-attractive personage, having satisfied his hunger and inhaled a few whiffs from a pipe which was handed to him, launched out into an harangue which completely enchained the attention of his auditors. Little as I understood of the language, yet from his animated gestures and the varying expressions of his features, reflected as from so many mirrors in the coun tenances around him, I could easily discover the nature of those passions which he sought to arouse. From the frequent occurrence of the words "Nukuheva" and "Frannee" (French), and some others with the meaning of which I was acquainted, he appeared to be rehearsing to his auditors events which had recently occurred in the neighbouring bays. But how he had gained the knowledge of these matters I could not understand, unless it were that he had just come from Nukuheva a supposition which his travel-stained appearance not a little supported. But, if a native of that region, I could not account for his friendly reception at the hands of the Typees. Never, certainly, had I beheld so powerful an exhibi- MARNOO APPEARS 185 tion of natural eloquence as Marnoo displayed during the course of his oration. The grace of the attitudes into which he threw his flexible figure, the striking ges tures of his naked arms, and above all the fire which shot from his brilliant eyes, imparted an effect to the continually changing accents of his voice of which the most accomplished orator might have been proud. At one moment reclining sideways upon the mat, and lean ing calmly upon his bended arm, he related circumstan tially the aggressions of the French their hostile visits to the surrounding bays, enumerating each one in suc cession Happar, Puerka, Nukuheva, Tior and then starting to his feet and precipitating himself forward with clenched hands and a countenance distorted with passion, he poured out a tide of invectives. Falling back into an attitude of lofty command, he exhorted the Typees to resist these encroachments, reminding them, with a fierce glance of exultation, that as yet the terror of their name had preserved them from attack, and with a scornful sneer he sketched in ironical terms the won drous intrepidity of the French, who, with five war- canoes and hundreds of men, had not dared to assail the naked warriors of their valley. The effect he produced upon his audience was elec tric ; one and all they stood regarding him with spark ling eyes and trembling limbs, as though they were listening to the inspired voice of a prophet. But it soon appeared that Marnoo s powers were as versatile as they were extraordinary. As soon as he had finished this vehement harangue, he threw himself again upon the mats, and, singling out individuals in the crowd, addressed them by name, in a sort of banter ing style, the humour of which, though nearly hidden from me, filled the whole assembly with uproarious delight. i86 TYPEE He had a word for everybody; and, turning rapidly from one to another, gave utterance to some hasty wit ticism, which was sure to be followed by peals of laugh ter. To the females, as well as to the men, he addressed his discourse. Heaven only knows what he said to them, but he caused smiles and blushes to mantle their ingenuous faces. I am, indeed, very much inclined to believe that Marnoo, with his handsome person and captivating manners, was a sad deceiver among the simple maidens of the island. During all this time he had never, for one moment, deigned to regard me. He appeared, indeed, to be altogether unconscious of my presence. I was utterly at a loss how to account for this extraordinary conduct. I easily perceived that he was a man of no little con sequence among the islanders that he possessed un common talents, and was gifted with a higher degree of knowledge than the inmates of the valley. For these reasons, I therefore greatly feared lest having, from some cause or other, unfriendly feelings toward me, he might exert his powerful influence to do me mischief. It seemed evident that he was not a permanent resi dent of the vale, and yet, whence could he have come? On all sides the Typees were girt in by hostile tribes, and how could he possibly, if belonging to any of these, be received with so much cordiality? The personal appearance of the enigmatical stranger suggested additional perplexities. The face, free from tattooing, and the unshaven crown, were peculiarities I had never before remarked in any part of the island, and I had always heard that the contrary were con sidered the indispensable distinctions of a Marquesan warrior. Altogether the matter was perfectly incom- MARNOO APPEARS 187 prehensible to me, and I awaited its solution with no small degree of anxiety. At length, from certain indications, I suspected that he was making me the subject of his remarks, although he appeared cautiously to avoid either pronouncing my name or looking in the direction where I lay. All at once he rose from the mats where he had been reclin ing, and, still conversing, moved towards me, his eye purposely evading mine, and seated himself within less than a yard of me. I had hardly recovered from my surprise when he suddenly turned round and, with a most benignant countenance, extended his right hand gracefully towards me. Of course I accepted the cour teous challenge, and, as soon as our palms met, he bent towards me, and murmured in musical accents, "How you do? How long you been in this bay? You like this bay?" Had I been pierced simultaneously by three Happar spears, I could not have started more than I did at hearing these simple questions! For a moment I was overwhelmed with astonishment, and then answered something, I know not what; but as soon as I regained my self-possession, the thought darted through my mind that from this individual I might obtain that informa- tioij} regarding Toby which I suspected the natives had purposely withheld from me. Accordingly I questioned him concerning the disappearance of my companion, but he denied all knowledge of the matter. I then enquired from whence he had come? He replied, from Nuku- heva. When I expressed my surprise, he looked at me for a moment, as if enjoying my perplexity, and then, with his strange vivacity, exclaimed, "Ah! me taboo me go Nukuheva me go Tior me go Typee me go everywhere nobody harm me me taboo." 1 88 TYPEE This explanation would have been altogether unintel ligible to me had it not recalled to my mind something I had previously heard concerning a singular custom among these islanders. Though the country is possessed by various tribes whose mutual hostilities almost wholly preclude any intercourse between them, yet there are instances where a person, having ratified friendly rela tions with some individual belonging to the valley whose inmates are at war with his own, may, under particular restrictions, venture with impunity into the country of his friend, where, under other circumstances, he would have been treated as an enemy. In this light are personal friendships regarded among them, and the individual so protected is said to be "taboo," and his person, to a cer tain extent, is held as sacred. Thus the stranger informed me he had access to all the valleys in the island. Curious to know how he had acquired his knowledge of English, I questioned him on the subject. At first, for some reason or other, he evaded the enquiry, but afterwards told me that when a boy, he had been car ried to sea by the captain of a trading vessel, with whom he had staid three years, living part of the time with him at Sydney, in Australia, and that, at a subsequent visit to the island, the captain had, at his own request, permitted him to remain among his countrymen. The natural quickness of the savage had been wonderfully improved by his intercourse with the white men, and his partial knowledge of a foreign language gave him a great ascendancy over his less accomplished country men. When I asked the now affable Marnoo why it was that he had not previously spoken to me, he eagerly en quired what I had been led to think of him from his conduct in that respect. I replied that I had supposed MARNOO APPEARS 189 him to be some great chief or warrior, who had seen plenty of white men before and did not think it worth while to notice a poor sailor. At this declaration of the exalted opinion I had formed of him, he appeared vastly gratified, and gave me to understand that he had pur posely behaved in that manner in order to increase my astonishment as soon as he should see proper to ad dress me. Marnoo now sought to learn my version of the story as to how I came to be an inmate of the Typee valley. When I related to him the circumstances under which Toby and I had entered it, he listened with evident interest; but as soon as I alluded to the absence, yet unaccounted for, of my comrade, he endeavoured to change the subject, as if it were something he desired not to agitate. It seemed, indeed, as if everything con nected with Toby was destined to beget distrust and anxiety in my bosom. Notwithstanding Marnoo s de nial of any knowledge of his fate, I could not avoid suspecting that he was deceiving me; and this suspicion revived those frightful apprehensions with regard to my own fate which, for a short time past, had subsided in my breast. Influenced by these feelings, I now felt a strong de sire to avail myself of the stranger s protection, and under his safeguard to return to Nukuheva. But as soon as I hinted at this, he unhesitatingly pronounced it to be entirely impracticable, assuring me that the Typees would never consent to my leaving the valley. Although what he said merely confirmed the impres sion which I had before entertained, still it increased my anxiety to escape from a captivity which, however endurable, nay, delightful it might be in some respects, involved in its issues a fate marked by the most fright ful contingencies. 1 90 TYPEE I could not conceal from my mind that Toby had been treated in the same friendly manner as I had been, and yet all their kindness had terminated in his myste rious disappearance. Might not the same fate await me? a fate too dreadful to think of. Stimulated by these considerations, I urged anew my request to Mar- noo; but he only set forth in stronger colours the im possibility of my escape, and repeated his previous dec laration that the Typees would never be brought to consent to my departure. When I endeavoured to learn from him the motives which prompted them to hold me a prisoner, Marnoo again assumed that mysterious tone which had tormented me with apprehensions when I had questioned him with regard to the fate of my companion. Thus repulsed, in a manner which only served, by arousing the most dreadful forebodings, to excite me to renewed attempts, I conjured him to intercede for me with the natives and endeavour to procure their consent to my leaving them. To this he appeared strongly averse; but, yielding at last to my importunities, he addressed several of the chiefs, who with the rest had been eying us intently during the whole of our con versation. His petition, however, was at once met with the most violent disapprobation, manifesting itself in angry glances and gestures, and a perfect torrent of passionate words, directed to both him and myself. Marnoo, evidently repenting the step he had taken, earnestly deprecated the resentment of the crowd, and in a few moments succeeded in pacifying to some ex tent the clamours which had broken out as soon as his proposition had been understood. With the most intense interest had I watched the reception his intercession might receive; and a bitter MARNOO APPEARS 191 pang shot through my heart at the additional evidence, now furnished, of the unchangeable determination of the islanders. Marnoo told me, with evident alarm in his countenance, that although admitted into the bay on a friendly footing with its inhabitants, he could not presume to meddle with their concerns, as such a pro cedure, if persisted in, would at once absolve the Typees from the restraints of the "taboo," although so long as he refrained from any such conduct, it screened him effectually from the consequences of the enmity they bore his tribe. At this moment Mehevi, who was present, angrily interrupted him; and the words which he uttered, in a commanding tone, evidently meant that he must at once cease talking to me and withdraw to the other part of the house. Marnoo immediately started up, hurriedly enjoining me not to address him again, and, as I valued my safety, to refrain from all further allusion to the subject of my departure; and then, in compliance with the order of the determined chief, but not before it had been angrily repeated, he withdrew to a distance. I now perceived, with no small degree of apprehen sion, the same savage expression in the countenance of the natives which had startled me during the scene at the Ti. They glanced their eyes suspiciously from Marnoo to me, as if distrusting the nature of an inter course carried on, as it was, in a language they could not understand, and they seemed to harbour the belief that already we had concerted measures calculated to elude their vigilance. The lively countenances of these people are wonder fully indicative of the emotions of the soul, and the imperfections of their oral language are more than com pensated for by the nervous eloquence of their books and 192 TYPEE gestures. I could plainly trace, in every varying ex pression of their faces, all those passions which had been thus unexpectedly aroused in their bosoms. It required no reflection to convince me, from what was going on, that the injunction of Marnoo was not to be rashly slighted; and accordingly, great as was the effort to suppress my feelings, I accosted Mehevi in a good-humoured tone, and with a view of dissipating any ill impression he might have received. But the ireful, angry chief was not so easily mollified. He rejected my advances with that peculiarly stern expression I have before described, and took care by the whole of his behaviour towards me to show the displeasure and re sentment which he felt. Marnoo, at the other extremity of the house, appar ently desirous of making a diversion in my favour, ex erted himself to amuse with his pleasantries the crowd about him; but his lively attempts were not so success ful as they had previously been, and, foiled in his efforts, he rose gravely to depart. No one expressed any regret at this movement, so seizing his roll of tappa, and grasp ing his spear, he advanced to the front of the pi-pi, and waving his hand in adieu to the now silent throng, cast upon me a glance of mingled pity and reproach and flung himself into the path which led from the house. I watched his receding figure until it was lost in the obscurity of the grove, and then gave myself up to the most desponding reflections. CHAPTER XIX / BATTLE OF THE POP-GUNS THE knowledge I had now obtained as to the inten tion of the savages deeply affected me. Marnoo, I perceived, was a man who, by reason of his superior acquirements, and the knowledge he possessed of the events which were taking place in the different bays of the island, was held in no little estimation by the inhabitants of the valley. He had been received with the most cordial welcome and respect. The na tives had hung upon the accents of his voice, and had manifested the highest gratification at being individu ally noticed by him. And yet, despite all this, a few words urged in my behalf with the intent of obtaining my release from captivity had sufficed not only to banish all harmony and good-will, but if I could be lieve what he told. me, had gone nigh to endanger his own personal safety. How strongly rooted, then, must be the determination of the Typees with regard to me, and how suddenly could they display the strangest passions! The mere suggestion of my departure had estranged from me, for the time at least, Mehevi, who was the most influential of all the chiefs, and who had previously exhibited so many instances of his friendly sentiments. The rest of the natives had likewise evinced their strong repugnance to my wishes, and even Kory-Kory himself seemed to share in the general disapprobation bestowed upon me. 193 194 TYPEE In vain I racked my invention to find out some motive for the strange desire these people manifested to retain me among them; but I could discover none. But, however this might be, the scene which had just occurred admonished me of the danger of trifling with the wayward and passionate spirits against whom it was vain to struggle, and might even be fatal to do so. My only hope was to induce the natives to believe that I was reconciled to my detention in the valley, and by assuming a tranquil and cheerful demeanour to allay the suspicions which I had so unfortunately aroused. Their confidence revived, they might in a short time remit in some degree their watchfulness over my move ments, and I should then be the better enabled to avail myself of any opportunity which presented itself for escape. I determined, therefore, to ma^ke the best of a bad bargain, and to bear up manfully against whatever might betide. In this endeavour I succeeded beyond my own expectations. At the period of Marnoo s visit, I had been in the valley, as nearly as I could conjecture, some two months. Although not completely recovered from my strange illness, which still .lingered about me, I was free from pain and able to take exercise. In short, I had every reason to anticipate a perfect recovery. Freed from apprehensions on this point, and resolved to regard the future without flinching, I flung myself anew into all the social pleasures of the valley, and sought to bury all regrets, and all remembrances of my previous existence, in the wild enjoyments it afforded. In my various wanderings through the vale, and as I became better acquainted with the character of its in habitants, I was more and more struck with the light- hearted joyousness that everywhere prevailed. The minds of these simple savages, unoccupied by matters BATTLE OF THE POP-GUNS 195 of graver moment, were capable of deriving the utmost delight from circumstances which would have passed unnoticed in more intelligent communities. All their en joyment, indeed, seemed to be made up of the little trifling incidents of the passing hour; but these dimin utive items swelled altogether to an amount of happi ness seldom experienced by more enlightened individuals, whose pleasures are drawn from more elevated but rarer sources. What community, for instance, of refined and intel lectual mortals would derive the least satisfaction from shooting pop-guns? The mere supposition of such a thing being possible would excite their indignation; and yet the whole population of Typee did little else for ten days but occupy themselves with that childish amusement, fairly screaming, too, with the delight it afforded them. One day I was frolicking with a little spirited urchin, some six years old, who chased me with a piece of bam boo about three feet long, with which he occasionally belaboured me. Seizing the stick from him, the idea happened to suggest itself that I might make for the youngster, out of the slender tube, one of those nursery muskets with which I had sometimes seen children play ing. Accordingly, with my knife I made two parallel slits in the cane several inches in length, and cutting loose at one end the elastic strip between them, bent it back and slipped the point into a little notch made for the purpose. Any small substance placed against this would be projected with considerable force through the tube by merely springing the bent strip out of the notch. Had I possessed the remotest idea of the sensation this piece of ordnance was destined to produce, I should 196 TYPEE certainly have taken out a patent for the invention. The boy scampered away with it, half delirious with ecstasy, and in twenty minutes afterwards I might have been seen surounded by a noisy crowd venerable grey beards responsible fathers of families valiant war riors matrons young men girls and children, all holding in their hand bits of bamboo, and each clamour ing to be served first. For three or four hours I was engaged in manufactur ing pop-guns, but at last made over my good-will and interest in the concern to a lad of remarkably quick parts, whom I soon initiated into the art and mystery. Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, now resounded all over the val ley. Duels, skirmishes, pitched battles, and general en gagements were to be seen on every side. Here, as you walked along a path which led through a thicket, you fell into a cunningly-laid ambush, and became a target for a body of musketeers whose tattooed limbs you could just see peeping into view through the foliage. There, you were assailed by the intrepid garrison of a house, who levelled their bamboo rifles at you from between the upright canes which composed its sides. Farther on you were fired upon by a detachment of sharpshooters, mounted upon the top of a pi-pi. Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop! green guavas, seeds, and berries were flying about in every direction, and during this dangerous state of affairs I was half afraid that, like the man and his brazen bull, I should fall a victim to my own ingenuity. Like everything else, however, the ex citement gradually wore away, though ever after occa sional pop-guns might be heard at all hours of the day. It was towards the close of the pop-gun war that I was infinitely diverted with a strange freak of Marheyo s. I had worn, when I quitted the ship, a pair of thick BATTLE OF THE POP-GUNS , 197 pumps, which, from the rough usage they had received in scaling precipices and sliding down gorges, were so dilapidated as to be altogether unfit for use so, at least, would have thought the generality of people, and so they most certainly were when considered in the light of shoes. But things unserviceable in one way may with advantage be applied in another, that is if one have genius enough for the purpose. This genius Marheyo possessed in a superlative degree, as he abun dantly evinced by the use to which he put these sorely bruised and battered old shoes. Every article, however trivial, which belonged to me the natives appeared to regard as sacred; and I observed that for several days after becoming an inmate of the house, my pumps were suffered to remain, untouched, where I had first happened to throw them. I remem bered, however, that after a while I had missed them from their accustomed place; but the matter gave me no concern, supposing that Tinor like any other tidy housewife, having come across them in some of her domestic occupations had pitched the useless things out of the house. But I was soon undeceived. One day I observed Marheyo bustling about me with unusual activity, and to such a degree as almost to super sede Kory-Kory in the functions of his office. One moment he volunteered to trot off with me on his back to the stream; and when I refused, noways daunted by the repulse he continued to frisk about me like a superannuated house-dog. I could not for the life of me conjecture what possessed the old gentleman, until all at once, availing himself of the temporary absence of the household, he went through a variety of uncouth ges tures, pointing eagerly down to my feet, and then up to a little bundle which swung from the ridge-pole over- 198 TYPEE head. At last I caught a faint idea of his meaning, and motioned him to lower the package. He executed the order in the twinkling of an eye, and unrolling a piece of tappa displayed to my astonished gaze the identi cal pumps which I thought had been destroyed long before. I immediately comprehended his desires, and very generously gave him the shoes, which had become quite mouldy, wondering for what earthly purpose he could want them. The same afternoon I descried the venerable warrior approaching the house with a slow, stately gait, ear rings in ears and spear in hand, with this highly orna mental pair of shoes suspended from his neck by a strip of bark, and swinging backwards and forwards on his capacious chest. In the gala costume of the tasteful Marheyo, these calf-skin pendants ever after formed the most striking feature. But to turn to something a little more important. Although the whole existence of the inhabitants of the valley seemed to pass away exempt from toil, yet there were some light employments which, although amusing rather than laborious as occupations, contributed to their comfort and luxury. Among these the most im portant was the manufacture of the native cloth "tappa," so well known, under various modifications, throughout the whole Polynesian Archipelago. As is generally understood, this useful and sometimes elegant article is fabricated from the bark of different trees. But, as I believe that no description of its manufacture has ever been given, I shall state what I know regard ing it. In the manufacture of the beautiful white tappa gen erally worn on the Marquesan Islands, the preliminary BATTLE OF THE POP-GUNS 199 operation consists in gathering a certain quantity of the young branches of the cloth-tree. The exterior green bark being pulled off as worthless, there remains a slen der fibrous substance, which is carefully stripped from the stick, to which it closely adheres. When a suffi cient quantity of it has been collected, the various strips are enveloped in a covering of large leaves, which the natives use precisely as we do wrapping-paper, and which are secured by a few turns of a line passed round them. The package is then laid in the bed of some running stream, with a heavy stone placed over it to prevent its being swept away. After it has remained for two or three days in this state, it is drawn out and exposed, for a short time, to the action of the air, every distinct piece being attentively inspected with a view of ascertaining whether it has yet been sufficiently af fected by the operation. This is repeated again and again until the desired result is obtained. When the substance is in a proper state for the next process, it betrays evidences of incipient decomposition; the fibres are relaxed and softened and rendered per fectly malleable. The different strips are now extended one by one, in successive layers, upon some smooth sur face generally the prostrate trunk of a cocoa-nut tree and the heap thus formed is subjected, at every new increase, to a moderate beating, with a sort of wooden mallet, leisurely applied. The mallet is made of a hard heavy wood resembling ebony, is about twelve inches in length and perhaps two in breadth, with a rounded handle at one end, and in shape is the exact counterpart of one of our four-sided razor-strops. The flat surfaces of the implement are marked with shallow parallel in dentations, varying in depth on the different sides so as to be adapted to the several stages of the operation. 200 TYPEE These marks produce the corduroy sort of stripes dis cernible in the tappa in its finished state. After being beaten in the manner I have described, the material soon becomes blended in one mass, which, moistened occasionally with water, is at intervals hammered out, by a kind of gold-beating process, to any degree of thin ness required. In this way the cloth is easily made to vary in strength and thickness, so as to suit the numer ous purposes to which it is applied. When the operation last described has been concluded, the new-made tappa is spread out on the grass to bleach and dry, and soon becomes of a dazzling whiteness. Sometimes, in the first stages of the manufacture, the substance is impregnated with a vegetable juice, which gives it a permanent colour. A rich brown and a bright yellow are occasionally seen, but the simple taste of the Typee people inclines them to prefer the natural tint. The notable wife of Kamehameha, the renowned con queror and king of the Sandwich Islands, used to pride herself in the skill she displayed in dyeing her tappa with contrasting colours disposed in regular figures; and, in the midst of the innovations of the times, was regarded towards the decline of her life, as a lady of the old school, clinging as she did to the national cloth in pref erence to the frippery of the European calicoes. But the art of printing the tappa is unknown upon the Mar- quesan Islands. In passing along the valley I was often attracted by the noise of the mallet which, when employed in the manufacture of the cloth, produces at every stroke of its hard, heavy wood, a clear ringing and musical sound, capable of being heard at a great distance. When sev eral of these implements happen to be in operation at the same time, and near one another, the effect upon the ear of a person at a little distance is really charming. CHAPTER XX A DAY IN THE VALLEY NOTHING can be more uniform and undiversified than the life of the Typees; one tranquil day of ease and happiness follows another in quiet succession; and with these unsophisticated savages the history of a day is the history of a life. I will, therefore, as briefly as I can, describe one of our days in the valley. *To begin with the morning We were not very early risers the sun would be shooting his golden spikes above the Happar mountain ere I threw aside my tappa robe, and girding my long tunic about my waist, sallied out with Fayaway and Kory-Kory and the rest of the household and bent my steps towards the stream. Here we found congregated all those who dwelt in our section of the valley ; and here we bathed with them. The fresh morning air and the cool flowing waters put both soul and body in a glow, and after a half -hour employed in this recreation we sauntered back to the house Tinor and Marheyo gathering dry sticks by the way for fire wood; some of the young men laying the cocoa-nut trees under contribution as they passed beneath them; while Kory-Kory played his outlandish pranks for my particu lar diversion, and Fayaway and I, not arm in arm to be sure, but sometimes hand in hand, strolled along, with feelings of perfect charity for all the world and especial good-will towards each other. Our morning meal was soon prepared. The islanders are somewhat abstemious at this repast, reserving the 202 TYPEE more powerful efforts of their appetite to a later period of the day. For my own part, with the assistance of my valet, who, as I have before stated, always officiated as spoon on these occasions, I ate sparingly from one of Tinor s trenchers of poee-poee which was devoted ex clusively for my own use, being mixed with the milky meat of ripe cocoa-nut. A section of a roasted bread fruit, a small cake of "amar," or a mess of "kokoo," two or three bananas, or a mammee-apple, an annuee, or some other agreeable and nutritious fruit served from day to day to diversify the meal, which was fin ished by tossing off the liquid contents of a young cocoa-nut or two. While partaking of this simple repast, the inmates of Marheyo s house, after the style of the indolent Ro mans, reclined in sociable groups upon the divan of mats, and digestion was promoted by cheerful conversation. After the morning meal was concluded, pipes were lighted, and among them my own especial pipe, a pres ent from the noble Mehevi. The islanders, who only smoke a whiff or two at a time, and at long intervals, and who keep their pipes going from hand to hand con tinually, regarded my systematic smoking of four or five pipefuls of tobacco in succession as something quite won derful. When two or three pipes had circulated freely, the company gradually broke up. Marheyo went to the little hut he was forever building. Tinor began to inspect her rolls of tappa, or employed her busy fingers in plaiting grass-mats. The girls anointed themselves with their fragrant oils, dressed their hair, or looked over their curious finery, and compared together their ivory trinkets, fashioned out of boar s tusks or whale s teeth. The young men and warriors produced their spears, paddles, canoe-gear, battle-clubs, and war-conchs, and A DAY IN THE VALLEY 203 occupied themselves in carving all sorts of figures upon them with pointed bits of shell or flint, and adorning them, especially the war-conchs, with tassels of braided bark and tufts of human hair. Some, immediately after eating, threw themselves once more upon the inviting mats, and resumed the employment of the previous night, sleeping as soundly as if they had not closed their eyes for a week. Others sallied out into the groves, for the purpose of gathering fruit or fibres of bark and leaves, the last two being in constant requisition, and applied to a hundred uses. A few, perhaps, among the girls, would slip into the woods after flowers, or repair to the stream with small calabashes and cocoa-nut shells, in order to polish them by friction with a smooth stone in the water. In truth these innocent people seemed to be at no loss for something to occupy their time; and it would be no light task to enumerate all their employments, or rather pleasures. My own mornings I spent in a variety of ways. Some times I rambled about from house to house, sure of re ceiving a cordial welcome wherever I went; or from grove to grove, and from one shady place to another, in company with Kory-Kory and Fayaway and a rabble rout of merry young idlers. Sometimes I was too indo lent for exercise, and accepting one of the many invi tations I was continually receiving, stretched myself out on the mats of some hospitable dwelling, and occupied myself pleasantly either in watching the pro ceedings of those around me or taking part in them myself. Whenever I chose to do the latter, the delight of the islanders was boundless; and there was always a throng of competitors for the honour of instructing me in any particular craft. I soon became quite an accom plished hand at making tappa, could braid a grass sling 204 TYPEE as well as the best of them, and once, with my knife, carved the handle of a javelin so exquisitely that I have no doubt, to this day, Karnoonoo, its owner, preserves it as a surprising specimen of my skill. As noon ap proached, all those who had wandered forth from our habitation began to return; and when mid-day was fairly come, scarcely a sound was to be heard in the valley: a deep sleep fell upon all. The luxurious siesta was hardly ever omitted, except by old Marheyo, who was so eccentric a character that he seemed to be gov erned by no fixed principles whatever; but acting just according to the humour of the moment, slept, ate, or tinkered away at his little hut without regard to the proprieties of time or place. Frequently he might have been seen taking a nap in the sun at noon-day, or a bath in the stream at midnight. Once I beheld him perched eighty feet from the ground, in the tuft of a cocoa-nut tree, smoking; and often I saw him standing up to the waist in water, engaged in plucking out the stray hairs of his beard, using a piece of mussel-shell for tweezers. The noon-tide slumber lasted generally an hour and a half, very often longer; and after the cleepers had arisen from their mats they again had recourse to their pipes, and then made preparations for the most impor tant meal of the day. I, however, like those gentlemen of leisure who breakfast at home and dine at their club, almost inva riably, during my intervals of health, enjoyed the after noon repast with the bachelor chiefs of the Ti, who were always rejoiced to see me, and lavishly spread before me all the good things which their larders afforded. Mehevi generally produced among other dainties a baked pig, an article which I have every reason to sup pose was provided for my sole gratification. A DAY IN THE VALLEY 205 The Ti was a right jovial place. It did my heart, as well as my body, good to visit it. Secure from female intrusion, there was no restraint upon the hilarity of the warriors, who, like the gentlemen of Europe after the cloth is drawn and the ladies retire, freely indulged their mirth. After spending a considerable portion of the afternoon at the Ti, I usually found myself, as the cool of the evening came on, either sailing on the little lake with Fayaway or bathing in the waters of the stream with a number of savages who at this hour always repaired thither. As the shadows of night approached, Marheyo s household were once more assembled under his roof; tapers were lit, long and curious chants were raised, interminable stories were told (for which one present was little the wiser), and all sorts of social festivities served to while away the time. The young girls very often danced by moonlight in front of their dwellings. There are a great variety of these dances, in which, however, I never saw the men take part. They all consist of active, romping, mis chievous evolutions, in which every limb is brought into requisition. Indeed, the Marquesan girls dance all over, as it were; not only do their feet dance, but their arms, hands, fingers; aye, their very eyes seem to dance in their heads. In good sooth, they so sway their float ing forms, arch their necks, toss aloft their naked arms, and glide, and swim, and whirl that it was almost too much for a quiet, sober-minded, modest young man like myself. The damsels wear nothing but flowers and their com pendious gala tunics, and when they plume themselves for the dance they look like a band of olive-coloured Sylphides on the point of taking wing. TYPEE Unless some particular festivity was going forward, the inmates of Marheyo s house retired to their mats rather early in the evening; but not for the night, since, after slumbering lightly for a while, they rose again, relit their tapers, partook of the third and last meal of the day, at which poee-poee alone was eaten, and then after inhaling a narcotic whiff from a pipe of tobacco, disposed themselves for the great business of night, sleep. With the Marquesans it might almost be styled the great business of life, for they pass a large portion of their time in the arms of Somnus. The native strength of their constitutions is no way shown more emphatically than in the quantity of sleep they can endure. To many of them, indeed, life is little else than an often interrupted and luxurious nap. CHAPTER XXI MONUMENTAL PI-PIS ALMOST every country has its medicinal springs famed for their healing virtues. The Cheltenham of Typee is embossed in the deepest solitude, and but seldom re ceives a visitor. It is situated remote from any dwell ing, a little way up the mountain, near the head of the valley; and you approach it by a pathway shaded by the most beautiful foliage and adorned with a thousand fragrant plants. The mineral waters of Arva Wai ooze forth from the crevices of a rock, and gliding down its mossy side, fall at last, in many clustering drops, into a natural basin of stone fringed round with grass and dewy-looking little violet-colored flowers, as fresh and beautiful as the per petual moisture they enjoy can make them. The water is held in high estimation by the islanders, some of whom consider it an agreeable as well as a medicinal beverage; they bring it from the mountain in their calabashes and store it away beneath heaps of leaves in some shady nook near the house. Old Mar- heyo had a great love for the waters of the spring. Every now and then he lugged off to the mountain a great round demijohn of a calabash, and panting with his exertions, brought it back filled with his darling fluid. The water tasted like a solution of a dozen disagree able things, and was sufficiently nauseous to have made the fortune of the proprietor, had the spa been situated in the midst of any civilised community. 207 208 TYPEE As I am no chemist, I cannot give a scientific analy sis of the water. All I know about the matter is that one day Marheyo in my presence poured out the last drop from his huge calabash, and I observed at the bot tom of the vessel a small quantity of gravelly sediment very much resembling our common sand. Whether this is always found in the water, and gives it its peculiar flavour and virtues, or whether its presence was merely incidental, I was not able to ascertain. One day in returning from this spring by a circuitous path I came upon a scene which reminded me of Stone- henge and the architectural labours of the Druids. At the base of one of the mountains, and surrounded on all sides by dense groves, a series of vast terraces of stone rises, step by step, for a considerable distance up the hill side. These terraces cannot be less than one hundred yards in length and twenty in width. Their magnitude, however, is less striking than the immense size of the blocks composing them. Some of the stones, of an oblong shape, are from ten to fifteen feet in length, and five or six feet thick. Their sides are quite smooth, but though square, and of pretty regular formation, they bear no mark of the chisel. They are laid together without cement, and here and there show gaps between. The topmost terrace and the lower one are somewhat peculiar in their construction. They have both a quad rangular depression in the centre, leaving the rest of the terrace elevated several feet above it. In the inter vals of the stones immense trees have taken root, and their broad boughs stretching far over and interlacing together support a canopy almost impenetrable to the sun. Overgrowing the greater part of them, and climb ing from one to another, is a wilderness of vines, in whose sinewy embrace many of the stones lie half hid- MONUMENTAL PI-PIS 209 den, while in some places a thick growth of bushes en tirely covers them. There is a wild pathway which obliquely crosses two of these terraces; and so profound is the shade, so dense the vegetation, that a stranger to the place might pass along it without being aware of their existence. These structures bear every indication of a very high antiquity, and Kory-Kory, who was my authority in all matters of scientific research, gave me to understand that they were coeval with the creation of the world, that the great gods themselves were the builders, and that they would endure until time shall be no more. Kory-Kory s prompt explanation, and his attributing the work to a divine origin, at once convinced me that neither he nor the rest of his countrymen knew anything about them. As I gazed upon this monument, doubtless the work of an extinct and forgotten race, thus buried in the green nook of an island at the ends of the earth, the ex istence of which was yesterday unknown, a stronger feeling of awe came over me than if I had stood musing at the mighty base of the Pyramid of Cheops. There are no inscriptions, no sculpture, no clew by which to con jecture its history nothing but the dumb stones. How many generations of those majestic trees which over shadow them have grown and flourished and decayed since first they were erected ! I have already mentioned that the dwellings of the islanders were almost invariably built upon massive stone foundations, which they call pi-pis. The dimensions of these, however, as well as of the stones composing them, are comparatively small: but there are other and larger erections of a similar description comprising the "mo- rais," or burying-grounds, and festival-places, in nearly 210 TYPEE all the valleys of the island. Some of these piles are so extensive, and so great a degree of labour and skill must have been requisite in constructing them, that I can scarcely believe they were built by the ancestors of the present inhabitants. If indeed they were, the race have sadly deteriorated in their knowledge of the me chanic arts. To say nothing of their habitual indo lence, by what contrivance within the reach of so simple a people could such enormous masses have been moved or fixed in their places? and how could they with their rude implements have chiselled and hammered them into shape. All of these larger pi-pis like that of the Hoolah Hoolah ground in the Typee valley bore incontestable marks of great age, and I am disposed to believe that their erection may be ascribed to the same race of men who were the builders of the still more ancient remains I have just described. According to Kory-Kory s account, the pi-pis upon which stands the Hoolah Hoolah ground was built a great many moons ago, under the direction of Monoo, a great chief and warrior, and, as it would appear, master-mason among the Typees. It was erected for the express pur pose to which it is at present devoted, in the incredibly short period of one sun, and was dedicated to the im mortal wooden idols by a grand festival, which lasted ten days and nights. Among the smaller pi-pis, upon which stand the dwell ing-houses of the natives, I never observed any which intimated a recent erection. There are in every part of the valley a great many of these massive stone founda tions which have no houses upon them. This is vastly convenient, for whenever an enterprising islander chooses to emigrate a few hundred yards from the place where MONUMENTAL PI-PIS 211 he was born, all he has to do in order to establish him self in some new locality is to select one of the many unappropriated pi-pis, and without further ceremony pitch his bamboo tent upon it. CHAPTER XXII PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST FROM the time that my lameness had decreased, I had made a daily practice of visiting Mehevi at the Ti, who invariably gave me a most cordial reception. I was always accompanied in these excursions by Fayaway and the ever-present Kory-Kory. The former, as soon as we reached the vicinity of the Ti which was rigor ously tabooed to the whole female sex withdrew to a neighbouring hut, as if her feminine delicacy restrained her from approaching a habitation which might be re garded as a sort of Bachelor s Hall. And in good truth it might well have been so con sidered. Although it was the permanent residence of several distinguished chiefs, and of the noble Mehevi in particular, it was still at certain seasons the favourite haunt of all the jolly, talkative, and elderly savages of the vale, who resorted thither in the same way that similar characters frequent a tavern in civilized coun tries. There they would remain hour after hour, chat ting, smoking, eating poee-poee, or busily engaged in sleeping for the good of their constitutions. This building appeared to be the headquarters of the valley, where all flying rumours concentrated; and to have seen it filled with a crowd of the natives, all males, conversing in animated clusters, while multitudes were continually coming and going, one would have thought it a kind of savage Exchange, where the rise and fall of Polynesian Stock was discussed. 212 PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST 213 Mehevi acted as supreme lord over the place, spend ing the greater portion of his time there: and often when, at particular hours of the day, it was deserted by nearly every one else except the verd-antique looking centenarians, who were fixtures in the building, the chief himself was sure to be found enjoying his otium cum dignitate upon the luxurious mats which covered the floor. Whenever I made my appearance he inva riably rose, and, like a gentleman doing the honours of his mansion, invited me to repose myself wherever I pleased, and calling out "tamaree!" (boy), a little fellow would appear, and then retiring for an instant, return with some savoury mess, from which the chief would press me to regale myself. To tell the truth, Mehevi was indebted to the excellence of his viands for the honour of my repeated visits a matter which cannot appear singular when it is borne in mind that bachelors, all the world over, are famous for serving up unexception able repasts. One day, on drawing near to the Ti, I observed that extensive preparations were going forward, plainly be tokening some approaching festival. Some of the symp toms reminded me of the stir produced among the scul lions of a large hotel where a grand jubilee dinner is about to be given. The natives were hurrying about hither and thither, engaged in various duties; some lugging off to the stream enormous hollow bamboos, for the purpose of filling them with water; others chasing furious-looking hogs through the bushes, in their endeavours to capture them; and numbers em ployed in kneading great mountains of poee-poee heaped up in huge wooden vessels. After observing these lively indications for a while, I was attracted to a neighbouring grove by a prodigious 214 TYPEE squeaking which I heard there. On reaching the spot I found it proceeded from a large hog which a number of natives were forcibly holding to the earth, while a muscular fellow, armed with a bludgeon, was ineffectu ally aiming murderous blows at the skull of the unfor tunate porker. Again and again he missed his writhing and struggling victim, but though puffing and panting with his exertions, he still continued them; and after striking a sufficient number of blows to have demolished an entire drove of oxen, with one crashing stroke he laid him dead at his feet. Without letting any blood from the body, it was immediately carried to a fire which had been kindled near at hand, and four savages, taking hold of the car cass by its legs, passed it rapidly to and fro in the flames. In a moment the smell of burning bristles betrayed the object of this procedure. Having got thus far in the matter, the body was removed to a little dis tance; and, being disembowelled, the entrails were laid aside as choice parts, and the whole carcass thoroughly washed with water. An ample thick green cloth, com posed of the long thick leaves of a species of palm- tree ingeniously tacked together with little pins of bam boo, was now spread upon the ground, in which the body being carefully rolled, it was borne to an oven previously prepared to receive it. Here it was at once laid upon the heated stones at the bottom, and covered with thick layers of leaves, the whole being quickly hidden from sight by a mound of earth raised over it. Such is the summary style in which the Typees con vert perverse-minded and rebellious hogs into the most docile and amiable pork, a morsel of which placed on the tongue melts like a soft smile from the lips of Beauty. I commend their peculiar mode of proceeding to the PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST 215 consideration of all butchers, cooks, and housewives. The hapless porker whose fate I have just rehearsed was not the only one who suffered on that memorable day. Many a dismal grunt, many an imploring squeak, proclaimed what was going on throughout the whole extent of the valley; and I verily believe the first-born of every litter perished before the setting of that fatal sun. The scene around the Ti was now most animated. Hogs and poee-poee were baking in numerous ovens, which, heaped up with fresh earth into slight eleva tions, looked like so many ant-hills. Scores of the savages were vigorously plying their stone pestles in preparing masses of poee-poee, and numbers were gathering green bread-fruit and young cocoa-nuts in the surrounding groves, while an exceeding great multi tude, with a view of encouraging the rest in their labours, stood still, and kept shouting most lustily without intermission. It is a peculiarity among these people that when engaged in any employment they always make a pro digious fuss about it. So seldom do they exert them selves that when they do work they seem determined that so meritorious an action shall not escape the ob servation of those around. If, for example, they have occasion to remove a stone by a little distance, which perhaps might be carried by two able-bodied men, a whole swarm gather about it, and, after a vast deal of palavering, lift it up among them, every one struggling to get hold of it, and bear it off yelling and panting as if accomplishing some mighty achievement. Seeing them on these occasions, one is reminded of an infinity of black ants clustering about and dragging away to some hole the leg of a deceased fly. 216 TYPEE Having for some time attentively observed these demonstrations of good cheer, I entered the Ti, where Mehevi sat complacently looking out upon the busy scene, and occasionally issuing his orders. The chief appeared to be in an extraordinary flow of spirits, and gave me to understand that on the morrow there would by grand doings in the Groves generally and at the Ti in particular, and urged me by no means to absent myself. In commemoration of what event, however, or in honour of what distinguished personage the feast was to be given altogether passed my comprehension. Mehevi sought to enlighten my ignorance, but he failed as signally as when he had endeavoured to initiate me into the perplexing arcana of the taboo. On leaving the Ti, Kory-Kory, who had as a matter of course accompanied me, observing that my curiosity remained unabated, resolved to make everything plain and satisfactory. With this intent, he escorted me through the Taboo Groves, pointing out to my notice a variety of objects, and endeavoured to explain them in such an indescribable jargon of words that it almost put me in bodily pain to listen to him. In particular, he led me to a remarkable pyramidical structure some three yards square at the base, and perhaps ten feet in height, which had lately been thrown up, and occupied a very conspicuous position. It was composed princi pally of large empty calabashes, with a few polished cocoa-nut shells, and looked not unlike a cenotaph of skulls. My cicerone perceived the astonishment with which I gazed at this monument of savage crockery, and immediately addressed himself to the task of enlightening me: but all in vain; and to this hour the nature of the monument remains a complete mystery to me. As, however, it formed so prominent a feature PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST 217 in the approaching revels, I bestowed upon the latter, in my own mind, the title of the "Feast of Calabashes." The following morning, awaking rather late, I per ceived the whole of Marheyo s family busily engaged in preparing for the festival. The old warrior himself was arranging in round balls the two grey locks of hair that were suffered to grow from the crown of his head; his earrings and spear, both well polished, lay beside him, while the highly decorative pair of shoes hung suspended from a projecting cane against the side of the house. The young men were similarly employed; and the fair damsels, including Fayaway, were anoint ing themselves with "aka," arranging their long tresses, and performing other matters connected with the duties of the toilet. Having completed their preparations, the girls now exhibited themselves in gala costume, the most con spicuous feature of which was a necklace of beautiful white flowers, with the stems removed, and strung closely together upon a single fibre of tappa. Corresponding ornaments were inserted in their ears, and woven gar lands upon their heads. About their waist they wore a short tunic of spotless white tappa, and some of them superadded to this a mantle of the same material, tied in an elaborate bow upon the left shoulder and falling about the figure in picturesque folds. Thus arrayed, I would have matched the charming Fayaway against any beauty in the world. People may say what they will about the taste evinced by our fashionable ladies in dress. Their jewels, their feathers, their silks, and their furbelows would have sunk into utter insignificance beside the exquisite sim plicity of attire adopted by the nymphs of the vale on this festive occasion. I should like to have seen a gal- 2i8 TYPEE Icry of coronation beauties, at Westminster Abbey, con fronted for a moment by this band of Island girls, their stiffness, formality, and affectation contrasted with the artless vivacity and unconcealed natural graces of these savage maidens. It would be the Venus de Medici placed beside a milliner s doll. It was not long before Kory-Kory and myself were left alone in the house, the rest of its inmates having departed for the Taboo Groves. My valet was all im patience to follow them, and was as fidgety about rny dilatory movements as a diner-out waiting hat in hand at the bottom of the stairs for some lagging companion. At last, yielding to his importunities, I set out for the Ti. As we passed the houses peeping out from the groves through which our route lay, I noticed that they were entirely deserted by their inhabitants. When we reached the rock that abruptly terminated the path and concealed from us the festive scene, wild shouts and a confused blending of voices assured me that the occasion, whatever it might be, had drawn together a great multitude. Kory-Kory, previous to mounting the elevation, paused for a moment, like a dandy at a ballroom door, to put a hasty finish to his toilet. During this short interval, the thought struck me that I ought myself perhaps to be taking some little pains with my appearance. But as I had no holiday raiment, I was not a little puzzled to devise some means of decorating myself. However, as I felt desirous to create a sensation, I determined to do all that lay in my power; and knowing that I could not delight the sav ages more than by conforming to their style of dress, I removed from my person the large robe of tappa which I was accustomed to wear over my shoulders whenever I sallied into the open air, and remained merely girt PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST 219 about with a short tunic descending from my waist to my knees. My quick-witted attendant fully appreciated the com pliment I was paying to the costume of his race, and began more sedulously to arrange the folds of the one only garment which remained to me. Whilst he was doing this, I caught sight of a knot of young lasses, who were sitting near us on the grass surrounded by heaps of flowers which they were forming into garlands. I motioned to them to bring some of their handiwork to me, and in an instant a dozen wreaths were at my disposal. One of them I put round the apology for a hat which I had been forced to construct for myself out of palmetto-leaves, and some of the others I converte/i into a splendid girdle. These operations finished, with the slow and dignified step of a full-dressed beau I ascended the rock. CHAPTER XXIII THE FEAST OF CALABASHES THE whole population of the valley seemed to be gathered within the precincts of the grove. In the dis tance could be seen the long front of the Ti, its im mense piazza swarming with men, arrayed in every variety of fantastic costume, and all vociferating with animated gestures, while the whole interval between it and the place where I stood was enlivened by groups of females fancifully decorated, dancing, capering, and uttering *wild exclamations. As soon as they descried me they set up a shout of welcome, and a band of them came dancing towards me chanting as they ap proached some wild recitative. The change in my garb seemed to transport them with delight, and clustering about me on all sides, they accompanied me towards the Ti. When, however, we drew near it these joyous nymphs paused in their career, and parting on either side, permitted me to pass on to the now densely thronged building. So soon as I mounted to the pi-pi I saw at a glance that the revels were fairly under way. What lavish plenty reigned around! Warwick feast ing his retainers with beef and ale was a niggard to the noble Mehevi! All along the piazza of the Ti were arranged elaborately carved canoe-shaped vessels, some twenty feet in length, filled with newly made poee-poee, and sheltered from the sun by the broad leaves of the 220 THE FEAST OF CALABASHES 221 banana. At intervals were heaps of green bread-fruit, raised in pyramidical stacks, resembling the regular piles of heavy shot to be seen in the yard of an arsenal. Inserted into the interstices of the huge stones which formed the pi-pi were large boughs of trees, hanging from the branches of which, and screened from the sun by their foliage, were innumerable little packages with leafy coverings, containing the meat of the numerous hogs which had been slain, done up in this manner to make it more accessible to the crowd. Leaning against the railing of the piazza were an immense number of long, heavy bamboos, plugged at the lower end, and with their projecting muzzles stuffed with a wad of leaves. These were filled with water from the stream, and each of them might hold from four to five gallons. The banquet being thus spread, nought remained but for every one to help himself at his pleasure. Accord ingly not a moment passed but the transplanted boughs I have mentioned were rifled by the throng of the fruit they certainly had never borne before. Calabashes of poee-poee were continually being replenished from the extensive receptacle in which that article was stored, and multitudes of little fires were kindled about the Ti for the purpose of roasting the bread-fruit. Within the building itself was presented a most ex traordinary scene. The immense lounge of mats lying between the parallel rows of the trunks of cocoa-nut trees, and extending the entire length of the house, at least two hundred feet, was covered by the reclining forms of a host of chiefs and warriors, who were eating at a great rate, or soothing the cares of Polynesian life in the sedative fumes of tobacco. The smoke was in haled from large pipes, the bowls of which, made out of small cocoa-nut shells, were curiously carved in strange 222 TYPEE heathenish devices. These were passed from mouth to mouth by the recumbent smokers, who, taking two or three prodigious whiffs, handed the pipe to his neigh bour, sometimes for that purpose stretching indolently across the body of some dozing individual whose exer tions at the dinner- table had already induced sleep. The tobacco used among the Typees was of a very mild and pleasing flavour, and as I always saw it in leaves, and the natives appeared pretty well supplied with it, I was led to believe that it must have been the growth of the valley. Indeed Kory-Kory gave me to understand that this was the case; but I never saw a single plant growing on the island. At Nukuheva, and, I believe, in all the other valleys, the weed is very scarce, being only obtained in small quantities from foreigners, and smoking is consequently with the inhabi tants of these places a very great luxury. How it was that the Typees were so well furnished with it I cannot divine. I should think them too indolent to devote any attention to its culture; and, indeed, as far as my obser vation extended, not a single atom of the soil was under any other cultivation than that of shower and sunshine. The tobacco plant, however, like the sugar-cane, may grow wild in some remote part of the vale. There were many in the Ti for whom the tobacco did not furnish a sufficient stimulus, and who accord ingly had recourse to "arva," as a more powerful agent in producing the desired effect. "Arva" is a root very generally dispersed over the South Seas, and from it is extracted a juice, the effects of which upon the system are at first stimulating in a moderate degree; but it soon relaxes the muscles, and exerting a narcotic influence pro duces a luxurious sleep. In the valley this beverage was universally prepared in the following way: THE FEAST OF CALABASHES 223 half-dozen young boys seated themselves in a circle around an empty wooden vessel, each of them being supplied with a certain quantity of the roots of the "arva," broken into small bits and laid by his side. A cocoa-nut goblet of water was passed around the juve nile company, who, rinsing their mouths with its con tents, proceeded to the business before them. This merely consisted in thoroughly masticating the "arva," and throwing it mouthful after mouthful into the re ceptacle provided. When a sufficient quantity had been thus obtained water was poured upon the mass, and being stirred about with the forefinger of the right hand, the preparation was soon in readiness for use. Mehevi, who was greatly delighted with the change in my costume, gave me a cordial welcome. He had reserved for me a most delectable mess of "kokoo," well knowing my partiality for that dish, and had likewise selected three or four young cocoa-nuts, several roasted bread-fruit, and a magnificent bunch of bananas for my especial comfort and gratification. These various mat ters were at once placed before me; but Kory-Kory deemed the banquet entirely insufficient for my wants until he had supplied me with one of the leafy packages of pork, which, notwithstanding the somewhat hasty manner in which it had been prepared, possessed a most excellent flavour, and was surprisingly sweet and tender. Pork is not a staple article of food among the people of the Marquesas; consequently they pay little attention to the breeding of the swine. The hogs are permitted to roam at large in the groves, where they obtain no small part of their nourishment from the cocoa-nuts which continually fall from the trees. But it is only after infinite labour and difficulty that the hungry animal can pierce the husk and shell so as to 224 TYPEE get at the meat. I have frequently been amused at seeing one of them, after crunching the obstinate nut with his teeth for a long time unsuccessfully, get into a violent passion with it. He would then root furi ously under the cocoa-nut, and, with a fling of his snout, toss it before him on the ground. Following it up, he would crunch at it again savagely for a moment, and the next knock it on one side, pausing immediately after, as if wondering how it could so suddenly have disappeared. In this way the persecuted cocoa-nuts were often chased half across the valley. The second day of the Feast of Calabashes was ushered in by still more uproarious noises than the first. The skins of innumerable sheep seemed to be resounding to the blows of an army of drummers. Startled from my slumbers by the din, I leaped up, and found the whole household engaged in making prepara tions for immediate departure. Curious to discover of what strange events these novel sounds might be the precursors, and not a little desirous to catch a sight of the instruments which produced the terrific noise, I ac companied the natives as soon as they were in readi ness to depart for the Taboo Groves. The comparatively open space that extended from the Ti toward the rock, to which I have before alluded as forming the ascent to the place, was, with the build ing itself, now altogether deserted by the men, the whole distance being filled by bands of females, shout ing and dancing under the influence of some strange excitement. I was amused at the appearnce of four or five old women who, in a state of utter nudity, with their arms extended flatly down their sides, and holding them selves perfectly erect, were leaping stiffly into the air, THE FEAST OF CALABASHES 225 like so many sticks bobbing to the surface after being pressed perpendicularly into the water. They pre served the utmost gravity of countenance, and con tinued their extraordinary movements without a single moment s cessation. They did not appear to attract the observation of the crowd around them, but I must candidly confess that, for my own part, I stared at them most pertinaciously. Desirous of being enlightened with regard to the meaning of this peculiar diversion, I turned enquiringly to Kory-Kory; that learned Typee immediately pro ceeded to explain the whole matter thoroughly. But all that I could comprehend from what he said was that the leaping figures before me were bereaved wid ows, whose partners had been slain in battle many moons previously, and who, at every festival, gave public evidence in this manner of their calamities. It was evident that Kory-Kory considered this an all- sufficient reason for so undecorous a custom; but I must say that it did not satisfy me as to its propriety. Leaving these afflicted females, we passed on to the Hoolah-Hoolah ground. Within the spacious quad rangle, the whole population of the valley seemed to be assembled, and the sight presented was truly remarkable. Beneath the sheds of bamboo which opened towards the interior of the square reclined the principal chiefs and warriors, while a miscellaneous throng lay at their ease under the enormous trees which spread a majestic canopy overhead. Upon the terraces of the gigantic altars, at either end, were deposited green bread-fruit in baskets of cocoa-nut leaves, large rolls of tappa, bunches of ripe bananas, clusters of mammee-apples, the golden- hued fruit of the artu-tree, and baked hogs, laid out in large wooden trenchers, fancifully decorated with 226 TYPEE freshly plucked leaves, whilst a variety of rude imple ments of war were piled in confused heaps before the ranks of hideous idols. Fruits of various kinds were likewise suspended in leafen baskets from the tops of poles planted upright, and at regular intervals along the lower terraces of both altars. At their base were arranged two parallel rows of cumbersome drums, stand ing at least fifteen feet in height, and formed from the hollow trunks of large trees. Their heads were covered with shark-skins, and their barrels were elaborately carved with various quaint figures and devices. At regular intervals they were bound round by a species of sinnate of various colours, and strips of native cloth flattened upon them here and there. Behind these in struments were built slight platforms, upon which stood a number of young men who, beating violently with the palms of their hands upon the drum-heads, pro duced those outrageous sounds which had awakened me in the morning. Every few minutes these musical performers hopped down from their elevation into the crowd below, and their places were immediately sup plied by fresh recruits. Thus an incessant din was kept up that might have startled Pandemonium. Precisely in the middle of the quadrangle were placed perpendicularly in the ground a hundred or more slender, fresh-cut poles, stripped of their bark and decorated at the end with a floating pennon of white tappa, the whole being fenced about with a little picket of canes. For what purpose these singular ornaments were intended I in vain endeavoured to discover. Another most striking features of the performance was exhibited by a score of old men, who sat cross- legged in the little pulpits which encircled the trunks of the immense trees growing in the middle of the en- THE FEAST OF CALABASHES 227 closure. These venerable gentlemen, who I presume were the priests, kept up an uninterrupted monotonous chant, which was nearly drowned in the roar of drums. In the right hand they held a finely woven grass fan, with a heavy black wooden handle curiously chased; these fans they kept in continual motion. But no attention whatever seemed to be paid to the drummers or to the old priests, the individuals who composed the vast crowd present being entirely taken up in chatting and laughing with one another, smok ing, drinking arva, and eating. For all the observa tion it attracted, or the good it achieved, the whole savage orchestra might, with great advantage to its own members and the company in general, have ceased the prodigious uproar they were making. In vain I questioned Kory-Kory and others of the natives as to the meaning of the strange things that were going on; all their explanations were conveyed in such a mass of outlandish gibberish and gesticula tion that I gave up the attempt in despair. All that day the drums resounded, the priests chanted, and the multitude feasted and roared till sunset, when the throng dispersed, and the Taboo Groves were again abandoned to quiet and repose. The next day the same scene was repeated until night, when this singu lar festival terminated. CHAPTER XXIV SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS ALTHOUGH I had been baffled in my attempts to learn the origin of the Feast of Calabashes, yet it seemed very plain to me that it was principally, if not wholly, of a religious character. As a religious solemnity, however, it had not at all corresponded with the horrible descrip tions of Polynesian worship which we have received in some published narratives. In a certain work incidentally treating of the "Wash ington, or Northern Marquesas Islands," I have seen the frequent immolation of human victims upon the altars of their gods positively and repeatedly charged upon the inhabitants. The same work gives also a rather minute account of their religion enumerates a great many of their superstitions and makes known the particular designations of numerous orders of the priest hood. One would almost imagine from the long list that is given of cannibal primates, bishops, archdeacons, prebendaries, and other inferior ecclesiastics that the sacerdotal order far outnumbered the rest of the popu lation. These accounts are likewise calculated to leave upon the reader s mind an impression that human vic tims are daily cooked and served up upon the altars; that heathenish cruelties of every description are con tinually practised; and that these ignorant Pagans are in a state of the extremest wretchedness in consequence of the grossness of their superstitions. Be it observed, 228 SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 229 however, that all this information is given by a man who, according to his own statement, was only at one of the islands and remained there but two weeks, sleep ing every night on board his ship, and taking little kid- glove excursions ashore in the day-time, attended by an armed party. , Now, all I can say is that in all my excursions through the valley of Typee, I never saw any of these alleged enormities. If any of them are practised upon the Marquesas Islands they must certainly have come to my knowledge, while living for months with a tribe of savages wholly unchanged from their original primitive condition and reputed the most ferocious in the South Seas. The fact is that there is a vast deal of unintentional humbuggery in some of the accounts we have from scientific men concerning the religious institutions of Polynesia. These learned tourists generally obtain the greater part of their information from the retired old South Sea rovers who have domesticated themselves among the barbarous tribes of the Pacific. Jack, who has long been accustomed to the long-bow, and to spin tough yarns on a ship s forecastle, invariably officiates as showman of the island on which he has settled, and having mastered a few dozen words of the language, is supposed to know all about the people who speak it. A natural desire to make himself of consequence in the eyes of the strangers prompts him to lay claim to a much greater knowledge of such matters than he actually possesses. In reply to incessant queries, he communi cates not only all he knows but a good deal more, and if there be any information deficient still, he is at no loss to supply it. The avidity with which his anecdotes are noted down tickles his vanity, and his powers of inven- 230 TYPEE tion increase with the credulity of his auditors. He knows just the sort of information wanted, and furnishes it to any extent. This is not a supposed case; I have met with several individuals like the one described, and I have been present at two or three of their interviews with strangers. Now, when the scientific voyager arrives at home with his collection of wonders, he attempts, perhaps, to give a description of some of the strange people he has been visiting. Instead of representing them as a com munity of lusty savages, who are leading a merry, idle, innocent life, he enters into a very circumstantial and learned narrative of certain unaccountable superstitions and practices, about which he knows as little as the islanders do themselves. Having had little time and scarcely any opportunity to become acquainted with the customs he pretends to describe, he writes them down one after another in an off-hand, haphazard style; and were the book thus produced to be translated into the tongue of the people of whom it purports to give the history, it would appear quite as wonderful to them as it does to the American public, and much more improbable. For my own part, I am free to confess my almost entire inability to gratify any curiosity that may be felt with regard to the theology of the valley. I doubt whether the inhabitants themselves could do so. They are either too lazy or too sensible to worry themselves about abstract points of religious belief. While I was among them they never held any synods or councils to settle the principles of their faith by agitating them. An unbounded liberty of conscience seemed to prevail. Those who pleased to do so were allowed to repose implicit faith in an ill-favoured god with a large bottle SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 231 nose and fat shapeless arms crossed upon his breast, whilst others worshipped an image which, having no likeness either in heaven or on earth, could hardly be called an idol. As the islanders always maintained a discreet reserve with regard to my own peculiar views on religion, I thought it would be excessively ill-bred in me to pry into theirs. But, although my knowledge of the religious faith of the Typees was unavoidably limited, one of their super stitious observances with which I became acquainted interested me greatly. In one of the most secluded portions of the valley within a stone s cast of Fayaway s lake for so I christened the scene of our island yachting and hard by a growth of palms, which stood ranged in order along both banks of the stream, waving their green arms as if to do honour to its passage, was the mauso leum of a deceased warrior chief. Like all the other edifices of any note, it was raised upon a small pi-pi of stones, which, being of unusual height, was a conspicu ous object from a distance. A light thatching of bleached palmetto-leaves hung over it like a self -supported canopy; for it was not until you came very near that you saw it was supported by four slender columns of bamboo rising at each corner to a little more than the height of a man. A clear area of a few yards surrounded the pi-pi, and was enclosed by four trunks of cocoa-nut trees resting at the angles on massive blocks of stone. The place was sacred. The sign of the inscrutable taboo was seen in the shape of a mystic roll of white tappa, suspended by a twisted cord of the same material from the top of a slight pole planted within the en closure. 1 The sanctity of the spot appeared never to 1 White appears to be the sacred colour among the Marquesans [Melville s note]. 232 TYPEE have been violated. The stillness of the grave was there, and the calm solitude around was beautiful and touching. The soft shadows of those lofty palm-trees! I can see them now hanging over the little temple, as if to keep out the intrusive sun. On all sides as you approached this silent spot you caught sight of the dead chief s effigy, seated in the stern of a canoe, which was raised on a light frame a few inches above the level of the pi-pi. The canoe was about seven feet in length, of a rich dark coloured wood, handsomely carved and adorned in many places with variegated bindings of stained sinnate, into which were ingeniously wrought a number of sparkling seashells, and a belt of the same shells ran all around it. The body of the figure of whatever material it might have been made was effectually concealed in a heavy robe of brown tappa, revealing only the hands and head, the latter skilfully carved in wood, and surmounted by a superb arch of plumes. These plumes, in the subdued and gentle gales which found access to this sequestered spot, were never for one moment at rest, but kept nod ding and waving over the chief s brow. The long leaves of the palmetto dropped over the eaves, and through them you saw the warrior holding his paddle with both hands in the act of rowing, leaning forward and inclining his head, as if eager to hurry on his voyage. Glaring at him forever, and face to face, was a polished human skull, which crowned the prow of the canoe. The spec tral figure-head, reversed in its position, glancing back wards, seemed to mock the impatient attitude of the warrior. When I first visited this singular place with Kory- Kory, he told me or at least I so understood him that the chief was paddling his way to the realms of bliss SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 233 and bread-fruit the Polynesian heaven where every moment the bread-fruit trees dropped their ripened spheres to the ground, and where there was no end to the cocoa-nuts and bananas; there they reposed through the livelong eternity upon mats much finer than those of Typee, and every day bathed their glowing limbs in rivers of cocoa-nut oil. In that happy land there were plenty of plumes and feathers and boars -tusks and sperm-whale teeth, far preferable to all shining trinkets and gay tappa of the white men; and, best of all, women, far lovelier than the daughters of earth, were there in abundance. A very pleasant place, Kory-Kory said it was; but after all not much pleasanter, he thought, than Typee. Did he not then, I asked him, wish to accom pany the warrior? Oh, no he was very happy where he was, but supposed that some time or other he would go in his own canoe. Thus far, I think, I clearly comprehended Kory-Kory. But there was a singular expression he made use of at the time, enforced by as singular a gesture, the meaning of which I would have given much to penetrate. I am inclined to believe it must have been a proverb he ut tered; for I afterwards heard him repeat the same words several times, and in what appeared to me to be a some what similar sense. Indeed, Kory-Kory had a great variety of short, smart-sounding sentences with which he frequently enlivened his discourse; and he introduced them with an air which plainly intimated that in his opinion they settled the matter in question, whatever it might be. Could it have been, then, that when I asked him whether he desired to go to this heaven of bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and young ladies which he had been describ ing, he answered by saying something equivalent to our 234 TYPEE old adage "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"? If he did, Kory-Kory was a discreet and sensi ble fellow, and I cannot sufficiently admire his shrewd ness. Whenever in the course of my rambles through the valley I happened to be near the chief s mausoleum, I always turned aside to visit it. The place had a pecu liar charm for me; I hardly know why, but so it was. As I leaned over the railing and gazed upon the strange effigy and watched the play of the feathery head-dress, stirred by the same breeze which in low tones breathed amidst the lofty palm-trees, I loved to yield myself up to the fanciful superstition of the islanders, and could almost believe that the grim warrior was bound heaven ward. In this mood when I turned to depart, I bade him "God speed, and a pleasant voyage." Aye, paddle away, brave chieftain, to the land of spirits! To the material eye thou makest but little progress; but with the eye of faith, I see thy canoe cleaving the bright waves which die away on those dimly looming shores of Paradise. This strange superstition affords another evidence of the fact that however ignorant man may be, he still feels within him his immortal spirit yearning after the unknown future. Although the religious theories of the islands were a complete mystery to me, their practical every-day opera tion could not be concealed. I frequently passed the little temples reposing in the shadows of the taboo groves and beheld the offerings mouldy fruits spread out upon a rude altar, or hanging in half-decayed baskets around some uncouth jolly-looking image; I was present during the continuance of the festival ; I daily beheld the grinning idols marshalled rank and file in the Hoolah SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 235 Hoolah ground, and was often in the habit of meeting those whom I supposed to be priests. But the temples seemed abandoned to solitude; the festival had been nothing more than a jovial mingling of the tribe; the idols were quite as harmless as any other logs of wood; and the priests were the merriest dogs in the valley. In fact religious affairs in Typee were at a very low ebb; all such matters sat very lightly upon the thought less inhabitants; and, in the celebration of many of their strange rites, they appeared merely to seek a sort of child ish amusement. A curious evidence of this was given in a remarkable ceremony in which I frequently saw Mehevi and several other chiefs and warriors of note take part, but never a single female. Among those whom I looked upon as forming the priesthood of the valley there was one in particular who often attracted my notice, and whom I could not help regarding as the head of the order. He was a noble look ing man, in the prime of his life, and of a most benignant aspect. The authority this man, whose name was Kolory, seemed to exercise over the rest, the episcopal part he took in the Feast of Calabashes, his sleek and complacent appearance, the mystic characters which were tattooed upon his breast, and above all the mitre he frequently wore, in the shape of a towering head dress, consisting of part of a cocoa-nut branch, the stalk planted uprightly on his brow and the leaflets gathered together and passed round the temples and behind the ears, all these pointed him out as Lord Primate of Ty pee. Kolory was a sort of a Knight Templar a soldier- priest; for he often wore the dress of a Marquesan warrior, and always carried a long spear, which, instead of terminating in a paddle at the lower end after the gen- 236 TYPEE era! fashion of these weapons, was curved into a heathen ish-looking little image. This instrument, however, might perhaps have been emblematic of his double func tions. With one end in carnal combat he transfixed the enemies of his tribe, and with the other as a pastoral crook he kept in order his spiritual flock. But this is not all I have to say about Kolory. His martial grace very often carried about with him what seemed to me the half of a broken war-club. It was swathed around with ragged bits of white tappa, and the upper part, which was intended to represent a human head, was embellished with a strip of scarlet cloth of Eu ropean manufacture. It required little observation to dis cover that this strange object was revered as a god. By the side of the big and lusty images standing sentinel over the altars of the Hoolah Hoolah ground, it seemed a mere pigmy in tatters. But appearances all the world over are deceptive. Little men are sometimes very potent, and rags sometimes cover very extensive pre tensions. In fact, this funny little image was the "crack" god of the island, lording it over all the wooden lubbers who looked so grim and dreadful; its name was Moa Atua. And it was in honour of Moa Atua, and for the entertainment of those who believed in him, that the curious ceremony I am about to describe was ob served. Mehevi and the chieftains of the Ti have just risen from their noontide slumbers. There are no affairs of state to dispose of; and having eaten two or three break fasts in the course of the morning, the magnates of the valley feel no appetite as yet for dinner. How are their leisure moments to be occupied? They smoke, they chat, and at last one of their number makes a proposi tion to the rest, who joyfully acquiescing, he darts out SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 237 of the house, leaps from the pi-pi, and disappears in the grove. . Soon you see him returning with Kolory, who bears the god Moa Atua in his arms, and carries in one hand a small trough hollowed out in the likeness of a canoe. The priest comes along dandling his charge as if it were a lachrymose infant he was endeavouring to put into a good humour. Presently, entering the Ti, he seats himself on the mats as composedly as a juggler about to perform his sleight-of-hand tricks ; and with the chiefs disposed in a circle around him, commences his ceremony. In the first place he gives Moa Atua an affectionate hug, then caressingly lays him to his breast, and, finally, whispers something in his ear, the rest of the company listening eagerly for a reply. But the baby-god is deaf or dumb perhaps both, for never a word does he utter. At last Kolory speaks a little louder, and soon growing angry, comes boldly out with what he has to say and bawls to him. He put me in mind of a choleric fellow, who, after trying in vain to communicate a secret to a deaf man, all at once flies into a passion and screams it out so that every one may hear. Still Moa Atua re mains as quiet as ever; and Kolory, seemingly losing his temper, fetches him a box over the head, strips him of his tappa and red cloth, and laying him in a state of nudity in the little trough, covers him from sight. At this proceeding all present loudly applaud and signify their approval by uttering the adjective "motarkee" with violent emphasis. Kolory, however, is so desirous his conduct should meet with unqualified approbation that he inquires of each individual separately whether, under existing circumstances, he has not done perfectly right in shutting up Moa Atua. The invariable response is "Aa, Aa," (yes, yes), repeated over again and again in a manner which ought to quiet the scruples of the 238 TYPEE most conscientious. After a few moments Kolory brings forth his doll again, and while arraying it very carefully in the tappa and red cloth, alternately fondles and chides it. The toilet being completed, he once more speaks to it aloud. The whole company hereupon show the greatest interest, while the priest holding Moa Atua to his ear interprets to them what he pretends the god is con fidentially communicating to him. Some items of in- tellirence appear to tickle all present amazingly; for one claps his hands in rapture, another shouts with merriment, and a third leaps to his feet and capers about like a madman. What under the sun Moa Atya on these occasions had to say to Kolory I never could find out; but I could not help thinking that the former showed a sad want of spirit in being disciplined into making those disclosures which at first he seemed bent on withholding. Whether the priest honestly interpreted what he believed the di vinity said to him, or whether he was not all the while guilty of a vile humbug, I shall not presume to decide. At any rate, whatever as coming from the god was im parted to those present seemed to be generally of a com plimentary nature, a fact which illustrates the sagacity of Kolory or else the time-serving disposition of this hardly used deity. Moa Atua having nothing more to say, his bearer goes to nursing him again, in which occupation, however, he is soon interrupted by a question put by one of the warriors to the god. Kolory hereupon snatches it up to his ear again, and after listening attentively, once more officiates as the organ of communication. A multitude of questions and answers having passed between the parties, much to the satisfaction of those who propose them, the god is put tenderly to bed in the trough, and SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 239 the whole company unite in a long chaunt, led off by Kolory. This ended, the ceremony is over; the chiefs rise to their feet in high good humor, and my Lord Arch bishop, after chatting awhile and regaling himself with a whiff or two from a pipe of tobacco, tucks the canoe under his arm and marches off with it. The whole of these proceedings were like those of a parcel of children playing with dolls and baby houses. For a youngster scarcely ten inches high, and with so few early advantages as he doubtless had had, Moa Atua was certainly a precocious little fellow if he really said all that was imputed to him; but for what reason this poor devil of a deity, thus cuffed about, cajoled, and shut up in a box, was held in greater estimation than the full-grown and dignified personages of the Taboo Groves, I cannot divine. And yet Mehevi and other chiefs of un questionable veracity to say nothing of the Primate himself assured me over and over again that Moa Atua was the tutelary deity of Typee, and was more to be held in honour than a whole battalion of the clumsy idols in the Hoolah Hoolah grounds. Kory-Kory who seemed to have devoted considerable attention to the study of theology, as he knew the names of all the graven images in the valley and often repeated them over to me likewise entertained some rather enlarged ideas with regard to the character and pretensions of Moa Atua. He once gave me to understand, with a gesture there was no misconceiving, that if he (Moa Atua) were so minded^ he could cause a cocoa-nut tree to sprout out of his (Kory-Kory s) head; and that it would be the easiest thing in life for him (Moa Atua) to take the whole island of Nukuheva in his mouth and dive down to the bottom of the sea with it. But in sober seriousness, I hardly knew what to make 240 TYPEE of the religion of the valley. There was nothing that so much perplexed the illustrious Cook, in his intercourse with the South Sea islanders, as their sacred rites. Al though this prince of navigators was in many instances assisted by interpreters in the prosecution of his re searches, he still frankly acknowledges that he was at a loss to obtain anything like a clear insight into the puz zling arcana of their faith. A similar admission has been made by other eminent voyagers: by Carteret, Byron, Kotzebue, and Vancouver. For my own part, although hardly a day passed while I remained upon the island that I did not witness some religious ceremony or other, it was very much like see ing a parcel of Freemasons making secret signs to each other; I saw everything, but could comprehend nothing. On the whole I am inclined to believe that the islanders in the Pacific have no fixed and definite ideas whatever on the subject of religion. I am persuaded that Kolory himself would be effectually posed were he called upon to draw up the articles of his faith and pro nounce the creed by which he hoped to be saved. In truth, the Typees, so far as their actions evince, sub mitted to no laws human or divine always excepting the thrice mysterious taboo. The "independent electors" of the valley were not to be brow-beaten by chiefs, priests, idols, or devils. As for the luckless idols, they received more hard knocks than supplications. I do not wonder that some of them looked so grim, and stood so bolt upright as if fearful of looking to the right or the left lest they should give any one offence. The fact is they had to carry themselves pretty straight or suffer the consequences. Their worshippers were such a pre cious set of fickle-minded and irreverent heathens that there was no telling when they might topple one of them SINGULAR SUPERSTITIONS 241 over, break it to pieces, and making a fire with it on the very altar itself, fall to roasting the offerings of bread fruit and eat them in spite of its teeth. In how little reverence these unfortunate deities were held by the natives was on one occasion most convin cingly proved to me. Walking with Kory-Kory through the deepest recesses of the groves, I perceived a curious looking image, about six feet in height, which originally had been placed upright against a low pi-pi, surmounted by a ruinous bamboo temple, but, having become fatigued and weak in the knees, was now carelessly leaning against it. The idol was partly concealed by the foliage of a tree which stood near, and whose leafy boughs drooped over the pile of stones as if to protect the rude fane from the decay to which it was rapidly hastening. The image itself was nothing more than a grotesquely shaped log, carved in the likeness of a portly naked man with the arms clasped over the head, the jaws thrown wide apart, and its thick shapeless legs bowed into an arch. It was much decayed. The lower part was overgrown with a bright silky moss. Thin spears of grass sprouted from the distended mouth and fringed the outline of the head and arms. His godship had literally attained a green old age. All its prominent points were bruised and battered, or entirely rotted away. The nose had taken its depar ture, and from the general appearance of the head it might have been supposed that the wooden divinity, in despair at the neglect of its worshippers, had been trying to beat its own brains out against the surrounding trees. I drew near to inspect more closely this strange object of idolatry, but halted reverently at the distance of two or three paces, out of regard to the religious prejudices of my valet. As soon, however, as Kory-Kory perceived that I was in one of my inquiring, scientific moods, to 242 TYPEE my astonishment, he sprang to the side of the idol, and pushing it away from the stones against which it rested, endeavoured to make it stand upon its legs. But the divinity had lost the use of them altogether; and while Kory-Kory was trying to prop it up, by placing a stick between it and the pi-pi, the monster fell clumsily to the ground, and would infallibly have broken its neck had not Kory-Kory providentially broken its fall by receiving its whole weight on his own half-crushed back. I never saw the honest fellow in such a rage before. He leaped furiously to his feet, and seizing the stick, began beating the poor image, even* moment or two pausing and talk ing to it in the most vehement manner, as if upbraiding it for the accident. When his indignation had subsided a little he whirled the idol about most profanely, so as to give me an opportunity of examining it on all sides. I am quite sure I never should have presumed to have taken such liberties with the god myself, and I was not a little shocked at Kory-Kory s impiety. This anecdote speaks for itself. When one of the inferior order of natives could show such contempt for a venerable and decrepit God of the Groves, what the state of religion must be among the people in general is easily to be imagined. In truth, I regard the Typees as a back-slidden generation. They are sunk in reli gious sloth, and require a spiritual revival. A long pros perity of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts has rendered them remiss in the performance of their higher obligations. The wood-rot malady is spreading among the idols the fruit upon their altars is becoming offensive the temples themselves need re-thatching the tattooed clergy are altogether too light-hearted and lazy and their flocks are going astray. CHAPTER XXV KING MEHEVI ALTHOUGH I had been unable during the late festi val to obtain information on many interesting subjects which had much excited my curiosity, still that impor tant event had not passed by without adding materially to my general knowledge of the islanders. I was especially struck by the physical strength and beauty w r hich they displayed, by their great superiority in these respects over the inhabitants of the neighbour ing bay of Xukuheva, and by the singular contrasts they presented among themselves in their various shades. of complexion. In beauty of form they surpassed anything I had ever seen. Xot a single instance of natural deformity was observable in all the throng attending the revels Occasionally I noticed among the men the scars of wounds they had received in battle, and sometimes, though very seldom, the loss of a finger, an eye. or an arm, attributable to the same cause. With these ex ceptions, every individual appeared free from those blem ishes which sometimes mar the effect of an otherwise perfect form. But their physical excellence did not merely consist in an exemption from these evils; nearly every individual of their number might have been taken for a sculptor s model. When I remembered that these islanders derived no advantage from dress, but appeared in all the naked simplicity of nature, I could not avoid comparing them 243 244 TYPEE with the fine gentlemen and dandies who promenade such unexceptionable figures in our frequented thoroughfares. Stripped of the cunning artifices of the tailor and stand ing forth in the garb of Eden what a sorry set of round-shouldered, spindle-shanked, crane-necked varlets would civilised men appear! Stuffed calves, padded breasts, and scientifically cut pantaloons would then avail them nothing, and the effect would be truly de plorable. Nothing in the appearance of the islanders struck me more forcibly than the whiteness of their teeth. The novelist always compares the masticators of his heroine to ivory; but I boldly pronounce the teeth of the Typees to be far more beautiful than ivory itself. The jaws of the oldest greybeards among them were much better garnished than those of most of the youths of civilised countries, while the teeth of the young and middle-aged, in their purity and whiteness, were actually dazzling to the eye. This marvellous whiteness of the teeth is to be ascribed to the pure vegetable diet of these people and the uninterrupted healthfulness of their natural mode of life. The men, in almost every instance, are of lofty stature, scarcely ever less than six feet in height, while the other sex are uncommonly diminutive. The early period of life at which the human form arrives at maturity in this generous tropical climate likewise deserves to be men tioned. A little creature, not more than thirteen years of age, and who in other particulars might be regarded as a mere child, is often seen nursing her own baby, whilst lads who, under less ripening skies, would be still at school are here responsible fathers of families. On first entering the Typee Valley, I had been struck with the marked contrast presented by its inhabitants KING MEHEVI 245 with those of the bay I had previously left. In the latter place, I had not been favourably impressed with the personal appearance of the male portion of the popula tion; although with the females, excepting in some truly melancholy instances, I had been wonderfully pleased. I had observed that even the little intercourse Europeans had carried on with the Nukuheva natives had not failed to leave its traces amongst them. One of the most dread ful curses under which humanity labours had com menced its havocs, and betrayed, as it ever does among the South Sea islanders, the most aggravated symptoms. From this, as from all other foreign inflictions, the yet uncontaminated tenants of the Typee Valley were wholly exempt; and long may they continue so. Better will it be for them for ever to remain the happy and innocent heathens and barbarians that they now are. Apart, how ever, from these considerations, I am inclined to believe that there exists a radical difference between the two tribes, if indeed they are not distinct races of men. To those who have merely touched at Nukuheva Bay, without visiting other portions of the island, it would hardly appear credible the diversities presented between the various small clans inhabiting so diminutive a spot. But the hereditary hostility which has existed between them for ages fully accounts for this. Not so easy, however, is it to assign an adequate cause for the endless variety of complexions to be seen in the Typee Valley. During the festival I had noticed several young females, whose skins were almost as white as any Saxon damsel s, a slight dash of the mantling brown being all that marked the difference. The comparative fairness of complexion, though in a great degree per fectly natural, is partly the result of an artificial process, and of an entire exclusion from the sun. The juice of 246 TYPEE the "papa" root, found in great abundance at the head of the valley, is held in great esteem as a cosmetic, with which many of the females daily anoint their whole per son. The habitual use of it whitens and beautifies the skin. Those of the young girls who resort to this method of heightening their charms never expose themselves to the rays of the sun, an observance, however, that produces little or no inconvenience, since there are but few of the inhabited portions of the vale which are not shaded over with a spreading canopy of boughs, so that one may journey from house to house, scarcely deviating from the direct course, and yet never once see his shadow cast upon the ground. The "papa," when used, is suffered to remain upon the skin for several hours; being of a light green colour, it consequently imparts for the time a similar hue to the complexion. Nothing, therefore, can be imagined more singular than the appearance of these nearly naked dam sels immediately after the application of the cosmetic. To look at one of them you would almost suppose she was some vegetable in an unripe state, and that, instead of living in the shade forever she ought to be placed in the sun to ripen. All the islanders are more or less in the habit of anoint ing themselves, the women preferring the "aka" or "papa," and the men using the oil of the cocoa-nut. Mehevi was remarkably fond of mollifying his entire cuticle with this ointment. Sometimes he might be seen, with his whole body fairly reeking with the per fumed oil of the nut, looking as if he had just emerged from a soap-boiler s vat, or had undergone the process of dipping in a tallow-chandlery. To this cause per haps, united to their frequent bathing and extreme cleanliness, is ascribable, in a great measure, the mar- KING MEHEVI 247 vellous purity and smoothness of skin exhibited by the natives in general. The prevailing tint among the women of the valley was a light olive, and of this style of complexion Fay- away afforded the most beautiful example. Others were still darker, while not a few were of a genuine golden colour, and some of a swarthy hue. As agreeing with much previously mentioned in this narrative, I may here observe that Mendana, their dis coverer, in his account of the Marquesas, described the natives as wondrously beautiful to behold, and as nearly resembling the people of southern Europe. The first of these islands seen by Mendana was La Madelena, which is not far distant from Nukuheva; and its inhabitants in every respect resemble those dwelling on that and the other islands of the group. Figueroa, the chronicler of Mendana s voyage, says that on the morning the land was descried, when the Spaniards drew near the shore, there sallied forth in rude procession about sev enty canoes, and at the same time many of the inhabi tants (females, I presume) made towards the ships by swimming. He adds that "in complexion they were nearly white ; of good stature, and finely formed ; and on their faces and bodies were delineated representations of fishes and other devices." The old Don then goes on to say, "There came, among others, two lads, paddling their canoe, whose eyes were fixed on the ship; they had beautiful faces and the most promising animation of countenance, and were in all things so becoming that the pilot-mayor Quiros affirmed nothing in his life ever caused him so much regret as the leaving such fine creatures to be lost in that country." 1 More than two 1 This passage, which is cited as an almost literal translation from the original, I found in a small volume entitled "Circum- 248 TYPEE hundred years have gone by since the passage of which the above is a translation was written; and it appears to me now, as I read it, as fresh and true as if written but yesterday. The islanders are still the same; and I have seen boys in the Typee Valley of whose "beautiful faces" and "promising animation of countenance" no one who has not beheld them can form any adequate idea. Cook, in the account of his voyages, pronounces the Marque- sans by far the most splendid islanders in the South Seas. Stewart, the chaplain of the U. S. ship Vincennes, in his "Scenes in the South Seas," expresses, in more than one place, his amazement at the surpassing loveli ness of the women, and says that many of the Nukuheva damsels reminded him forcibly of the most celebrated beauties in his own land. Fanning, a Yankee mariner of some reputation, likewise records his lively impres sions of the physical appearance of these people; and Commodore David Porter of the U. S. frigate Essex is said to have been vastly smitten by the beauty of the ladies. Their great superiority over all other Polyne sians cannot fail to attract the notice of those who visit the principal groups in the Pacific. The voluptuous Tahitians are the only people who at all deserve to be compared with them, while the dark-hued Hawaiians and the woolly-headed Feejees are immeasurably in ferior to them. The distinguishing characteristic of the Marquesan islanders, and that which at once strikes you, is the European cast of their features a peculiarity navigation of the Globe," in which volume are several extracts from "Dalrymple s Historical Collections." The last-mentioned work I have never seen, but it is said to contain a very correct English version of great part of the learned Doctor Christoval Suaverde de Figueroa s History of Mendana s Voyage, published at Madrid, A.D. 1613. [Melville s note]. KING MEHEVI 249 seldom observable among other uncivilised people. Many of their faces present a profile classically beautiful, and in the valley of Typee I saw several who, like the stranger Marnoo, were in every respect models of beauty. Some of the natives present at the Feast of Calabashes had displayed a few articles of European dress, disposed, however, about their persons after their own peculiar fashion. Among these I perceived the two pieces of cotton-cloth which poor Toby and myself had bestowed upon our youthful guides the afternoon we entered the valley. They were evidently reserved for gala days, and during those of the festival they rendered the young islanders who wore them very distinguished characters. The small number who were similarly adorned, and the great value they appeared to place upon the most com mon and most trivial articles, furnished ample evidence of the very restricted intercourse they held with vessels touching at the island. A few cotton handkerchiefs, of a gay pattern, tied about the neck and suffered to fall over the shoulders, strips of fanciful calico swathed about the loins, were nearly all I saw. Indeed, throughout the valley there were few things of any kind to be seen of European origin. All I ever saw, beside the articles just alluded to, were the six muskets preserved in the Ti, and three or four similar implements of warfare hung up in other houses, some small canvas bags, partly filled with bullets and powder, and half a dozen old hatchet-heads, with the edges blunted and battered to such a degree as to render them utterly useless. These last seemed to be regarded as nearly worthless by the natives; and several times they held up one of them before me, and throwing it aside with a gesture of disgust, manifested their contempt for anything that could so soon become unserviceable. 250 TYPEE But the muskets, the powder, and the bullets were held in most extravagant esteem. The former, from their great age and the peculiarities they exhibited, were well worthy a place in any antiquarian s armory. I remember in particular one that hung in the Ti, and which Mehevi supposing as a matter of course that I was able to repair it had put into my hands for that purpose. It was one of those clumsy, old-fashioned, Eng lish pieces known generally as Tower Hill rnuskets, and, for aught I know, might have been left on the island by Wallace, Carteret, Cook, or Vancouver. The stock was half rotten and worm-eaten; the lock was as rusty and about as well adapted to its ostensible purpose as an old door-hinge; the threading of the screws about the trigger was completely worn av/ay, while the barrel shook in the wood. Such was the weapon the chief desired me to restore to its original condition. As I did not possess the accomplishments of a gunsmith, and was likewise destitute of the necessary tools, I was reluctantly obliged to signify my inability to perform the task. At this unexpected communication Mehevi regarded me, for a moment, as if he half suspected I was some inferior sort of white man, who after all did not know much more than a Typee. However, after a most laboured explanation of the matter, I succeeded in making him understand the extreme difficulty of the task. Scarcely satisfied with my apologies, however, he marched off with the superannuated musket in some thing of a huff, as if he would no longer expose it to the indignity of being manipulated by such unskilful fingers. During the festival I had not failed to remark the simplicity of manner, the freedom from all restraint, and, to a certain degree, the equality of condition mani- KING MEHEVI 251 fested by the natives in general. No one appeared to assume any arrogant pretensions. There was little more than a slight difference in costume to distinguish the chiefs from the other natives. All appeared to mix together freely, and without any reserve; although I noticed that the wishes of a chief, even when delivered in the mildest tone, received the same immediate obedi ence which elsewhere would have been only accorded to a peremptory command. What may be the extent of the authority of the chiefs over the rest of the tribe, I will not venture to assert; but from all I saw during my stay in the valley, I was induced to believe that in matters concerning the general welfare it was very lim ited. The required degree of deference towards them, however, was willingly and cheerfully yielded; and as all authority is transmitted from father to son, I have no doubt that one of the effects here, as elsewhere, of high birth is to induce respect and obedience. The civil institutions of the Marquesas Islands appear to be, in this as in other respects, directly the reverse of those of the Tahitian and Hawaiian groups, where the original power of the king and chiefs was far more des potic than that of any tyrant in civilised countries. At Tahiti it used to be death for one of the inferior orders to approach, without permission, under the shadow of the king s house, or fail in paying the customary rever ence when food destined for the king was borne past them by his messengers. At the Sandwich Islands, Kaahumanu, the gigantic old dowager queen a woman of nearly four hundred pounds weight, and who is said to be still living at Mowee was accustomed, in some of her terrific gusts of temper, to snatch up an ordinary sized man who had offended her and snap his spine across her knee. Incredible as this may seem, it is a 252 TYPEE fact. While at Lahainaluna the residence of this mon strous Jezebel a humpbacked wretch was pointed out to me who, some twenty-five years previously, had had the vertebrae of his back-bone very seriously discomposed by his gentle mistress. The particular grades of rank existing among the chiefs of Typee I could not in all cases determine. Previous to the Feast of Calabashes I had been puzzled what particular station to assign to Mehevi. But the important part he took upon that occasion convinced me that he had no superior among the inhabitants of the valley. I had invariably noticed a certain degree of deference paid to him by all with whom I had ever seen him brought in contact; but when I remembered that my wanderings had been confined to a limited portion of the valley, and that towards the sea a number of dis tinguished chiefs resided, some of whom had separately visited me at Marheyo s house, and whom, until the Festival, I had never seen in the company of Mehevi, I felt disposed to believe that his rank after all might not be particularly elevated. The revels, however, had brought together all the warriors whom I had seen individually and in groups at different times and places. Among them Mehevi moved with an easy air of superiority which was not to be mis taken; and he whom I had only looked at as the hospit able host of the Ti, and one of the military leaders of the tribe, now assumed in my eyes the dignity of royal station. His striking costume, no less than his naturally commanding figure, seemed indeed to give him pre eminence over the rest. The towering helmet of feathers that he wore raised him in height above all who sur rounded him; and though some others were similarly adorned, the length and luxuriance of their plumes were far inferior to his. KING MEHEVI 253 Mehevi was in fact the greatest of the chiefs the head of his clan the sovereign of the valley; and the simplicity of the social institutions of the people could not have been more completely proved than by the fact that after having been several weeks in the valley, and almost in daily intercourse with Mehevi, I should have remained until the time of the festival ignorant of his regal character. But a new light had now broken in upon me. The Ti was the palace and Mehevi the king. Both the one and the other of a most simple and patriarchial nature, it must be allowed, and wholly un attended by the ceremonious pomp which usually sur rounds the purple. After having made this discovery I could not avoid congratulating myself that Mehevi had from the first taken me as it were under his royal protection, and that he still continued to entertain for me the warmest regard, as far at least as I was enabled to judge from appear ances. For the future I determined to pay most assidu ous court to him, hoping that eventually through his kindness I might obtain my liberty. CHAPTER XXVI NATIVE CUSTOMS KING MEHEVI! A goodly sounding title! and why should I not bestow it upon the foremost man in the valley of Typee? The republican missionaries of Oahu cause to be gazetted in the Court Journal, pub lished at Honolulu, the most trivial movements of "his gracious majesty" King Kamehameha III., and "their highnesses the princes of the blood royal." And who is his "gracious majesty," and what the quality of this "blood royal"? His "gracious majesty" is a fat, lazy negro-looking blockhead, with as little character as power. He has lost the noble traits of the barbarian without acquiring the redeeming graces of a civilised being, and, although a member of the Hawaiian Temperance So ciety, is a most inveterate dram-drinker. The "blood royal" is an extremely thick, depraved fluid, formed principally of raw fish, bad brandy, and European sweet meats. Now, if the farcical puppet of a chief magistrate in the Sandwich Islands be allowed the title of king, why should it be withheld from the noble savage Mehevi, who is a thousand times more worthy of the appellation? All hail, therefore, Mehevi, King of the Cannibal Valley, and long life and prosperity to his Typeean majesty! May Heaven for many a year preserve him, the uncom promising foe of Nukuheva and the French, if a hostile attitude will secure his lovely domain from the remorse less inflictions of South Sea civilisation. 254 NATIVE CUSTOMS 255 Previously to seeing the Dancing Widows I had little idea that there were any matrimonial relations subsisting in Typee, and I should as soon have thought of a Pla tonic affection being cultivated between the sexes as of the solemn connexion of man and wife. To be sure, there were old Marheyo and Tinor, who seemed to have a sort of nuptial understanding with one another; but for all that I had sometimes observed a comical-looking old gentleman dressed in a suit of shabby tattooing who had the audacity to take various liberties with the lady, and that too in the very presence of the old warrior her husband, who looked on as good-naturedly as if nothing was happening. This behaviour, until subsequent dis coveries enlightened me, puzzled me more than anything else I witnessed in Typee. As for Mehevi, I had supposed him a confirmed bach elor, as well as most of the principal chiefs. At any rate, if they had wives and families, they ought to have been ashamed of themselves ; for sure I am they never troubled themselves about any domestic affairs. In truth, Mehevi seemed to be the president of a club of hearty fellows who kept "Bachelor s Hall" in fine style at the Ti. I had no doubt that they regarded children as odious in- cumbrances; and their ideas of domestic felicity were sufficiently shown in the fact that they allowed no med dlesome housekeepers to turn topsy-turvy those snug little arrangements they had made in their comfortable dwelling. I strongly suspected, however, that some of these jolly bachelors were carrying on love intrigues with the maidens of the tribe, although they did not appear publicly to acknowledge them. I happened to pop upon Mehevi three or four times when he was romping in a most undignified manner for a warrior king with one of the prettiest little witches in the valley. She 256 TYPEE lived with an old woman and a young man in a house near Marheyo s; and although in appearance a mere child herself, had a noble boy about a year old, who bore a marvellous resemblance to Mehevi, whom I should cer tainly have believed to be the father, were it not that the little fellow had no triangle on his face but on second thoughts, tattooing is not hereditary. Mehevi, however, was not the only person upon whom the damsel Moon- oony smiled the young fellow of fifteen, who perma nently resided in the house with her, was decidedly in her good graces. I sometimes beheld both him and the chief making love at the same time. Is it possible, thought I, that the valiant warrior can consent to give up a corner in the thing he loves? This too was a mys tery which, with others of the same kind, was afterwards satisfactorily explained. During the second day of the Feast of Calabashes, Kory-Kory being determined that I should have some understanding on these matters had, in the course of his explanations, directed my attention to a peculiarity I had frequently remarked among many of the females principally those of a mature age and rather ma tronly appearance. This consisted in having the right hand and the left foot most elaborately tattooed, while the rest of the body was wholly free from the operation of the art, with the exception of the minutely dotted lips and slight marks on the shoulders to which I have pre viously referred as comprising the sole tattooing exhib ited by Fayaway, in common with other young girls of her age. The hand and foot thus embellished were, according to Kory-Kory, the distinguishing badge of wedlock, so far as that social and highly commendable institution is known among these people. It answers, indeed, the same purpose as the plain gold ring worn by pur fairer spouses.. NATIVE CUSTOMS 257 After Kory-Kory s explanation of the subject, I was for some time studiously respectful in the presence of all females thus distinguished, and never ventured to indulge in the slightest approach to flirtation with any of their number. Married women, to be sure! I knew better than to offend them. A further insight, however, into the peculiar domestic customs of the inmates of the valley did away in a measure with the severity of my scruples, and convinced me that I was deceived in some at least of my conclu sions. A regular system of polygamy exists among the islanders; but of a most extraordinary nature a plu rality of husbands instead of wives; and this solitary fact speaks volumes for the gentle disposition of the male population. I was not able to learn what particular ceremony was observed in forming the marriage contract, but am in clined to think that it must have been of a very simple nature. Perhaps the mere "popping the question," as it is termed with us, might have been followed by an immediate nuptial alliance. At any rate, I have more than one reason to believe that tedious courtships are unknown in the valley of Typee. The males considerably outnumber the females. This holds true of many of the islands of Polynesia, although the reverse of what is the case in most civilised coun tries. The girls are first wooed and won, at a very tender age, by some stripling in the household in which they reside. This, however, is a mere frolic of the affections, and no formal engagement is contracted. By the time this first love has a little subsided, a second suitor presents himself, of graver years, and carries both boy and girl away to his own habitation. This disinter ested and generous-hearted fellow now weds the young 258 TYPEE couple marrying damsel and lover at the same time and all three thenceforth live together as harmoniously as so many turtles. I have heard of some men who in civilised countries rashly marry large families with their wives, but had no idea that there was any place where people married supplementary husbands with them. In fidelity on either side is very rare. No man has more than one wife, and no wife of mature years has less than two husbands; sometimes she has three, but such in stances are not frequent. The marriage tie, whatever it may be, does not appear to be indissoluble, for sepa rations occasionally happen. These, however, when they do take place, produce no unhappiness, and are preceded by no bickerings. As nothing stands in the way of a separation, the matrimonial yoke sits easily and lightly, and a Typee wife lives on very pleasant and sociable terms with her husbands. On the whole, wed lock, as known among these Typees, seems to JDC of a more distinct and enduring nature than is usually the case with barbarous people. A baneful promiscuous in tercourse of the sexes is hereby avoided, and virtue, without being clamorously invoked, is, as it were, un consciously practised. Notwithstanding the existence of wedlock among the Typees, the Scriptural injunction to increase and multi ply seems to be but indifferently attended to. I never saw any of those large families in arithmetical or step- ladder progression which one often meets with at home. I never knew of more than two youngsters living together in the same home, and but seldom even that number. As for the women, it was very plain that the anxieties of the nursery but seldom disturbed the serenity of their souls, and they were never to be seen going about the valley with half a score of little ones tagging at their NATIVE CUSTOMS 259 apron-strings, or rather at the bread-fruit-leaf they usually wore in the rear. The ratio of increase among all the Polynesian nation is very small; and in some places as yet uncorrupted by intercourse with Europeans, the births would appear but very little to outnumber the deaths, the population in such instances remaining nearly the same for several successive generations, even upon those islands seldom or never desolated by wars. This would seem expressly ordained by Providence to prevent the overstocking of the islands with a race too indolent to cultivate the ground, and who, for that reason alone, would by any considerable increase in their numbers be exposed to the most deplorable misery. During the entire period of my stay in the valley of Typee, I never saw more than ten or twelve children under the age of six months, and only became aware of two births. I have before had occasion to remark that I never saw any of the ordinary signs of a place of sepulture in the valley, a circumstance which I attributed, at the time, to my living in a particular part of it and being forbidden to extend my rambles to any considerable distance towards the sea. I have since thought it prob able, however, that the Typees, either desirous of re moving from their sight the evidences of mortality, or prompted by a taste for rural beauty, may have some charming cemetery situated in the shadowy recesses along the base of the mountains. At Nukuheva, two or three large quadrangular "pi-pis," heavily flagged, en closed with regular stone walls and shaded over and almost hidden from view by the interlacing branches of enormous trees, were pointed out to me as burial-places. The bodies, I understood, were deposited in rude vaults beneath the flagging, and were suffered to remain there 2 6o TYPEE without being disinterred. Although nothing could be more strange and gloomy than the aspect of these places, where the lofty trees threw their dark shadows over rude blocks of stone, a stranger in looking at them would have discerned none of the ordinary evidences of a place of sepulture. During my stay in the valley, as none of its inmates were so accommodating as to die and be buried in order to gratify my curiosity with regard to their funeral rites, I was reluctantly obliged to remain in ignorance of them. As I have reason to believe, however, that the observances of the Typees in these matters are the same with those of all the other tribes on the island, I will here relate a scene I chanced to witness at Nukuheva. A young man had died, about daybreak, in a house near the beach. I had been sent ashore that morning, and saw a good deal of the preparations they were mak ing for his obsequies. The body, neatly wrapped in new white tappa, was laid out in an open shed of cocoa- nut boughs, upon a bier constructed of elastic bamboos ingeniously twisted together. This was supported, about two feet from the ground, by large canes planted upright in the earth. Two females, of a dejected appearance, watched by its side, plaintively chanting and beating the air with large grass fans whitened with pipe-clay. In the dwelling-house adjoining a numerous company were assembled, and various articles of food were being prepared for consumption. Two or three individuals, distinguished by head-dresses of beautiful tappa and wearing a great number of ornaments, appeared to offi ciate as masters of the ceremonies. By noon the enter tainment had fairly begun, and we were told that it would last during the whole of the two following days. With the exception of those who mourned by the corpse, NATIVE CUSTOMS 261 every one seemed disposed to drown the sense of the late bereavement in convivial indulgence. The girls, decked out in their savage finery, danced; the old men chanted; the warriors smoked and chatted; and the young and lusty, of both sexes, feasted plentifully and seemed to enjoy themselves as pleasantly as they could have done had it been a wedding. The islanders understand the art of embalming, and practise it with such success that the bodies of their great chiefs are frequently preserved for many years in the very houses where they died. I saw three of these in my visit to the Bay of Tior. One was enveloped in immense folds of tappa, with only the face exposed, and hung erect against the side of the dwelling. The others were stretched out upon biers of bamboo, in open, elevated temples, which seemed consecrated to their memory. The heads of enemies killed in battle are in variably preserved and hung up as trophies in the house of the conqueror. I am not acquainted with the process which is in use, but believe that fumigation is the prin cipal agency employed. All the remains which I saw presented the appearance of a ham after being suspended for some time in a smoky chimney. v But to return from the dead to the living. The late festival had drawn together, as I had every reason to believe, the whole population of the vale, and conse quently I was enabled to make some estimate with regard to its numbers. I should imagine that there were about two thousand inhabitants in Typee; and no num ber could have been better adapted to the extent of the valley. The valley is some nine miles in length, and may average one in breadth, the houses being dis tributed at wide intervals throughout its whole extent, principally, however, towards the head of the vale. There 262 TYPEE are no villages: the houses stand here and there in the shadow of the groves, or are scattered along the banks of the winding stream, their golden-hued bamboo sides and gleaming white thatch forming a beautiful contrast to the perpetual verdure in which they are embowered. There are no roads of any kind in the valley nothing but a labyrinth of foot-paths twisting and turning among the thickets without end. The penalty of the Fall presses very lightly upon the valley of Typee; for, with the one solitary exception of striking a light, I scarcely saw any piece of work per formed there which caused the sweat to stand upon a single brow. As for digging and delving for a livelihood, the thing is altogether unknown. Nature had planted the breadfruit and the banana, and in her own good time she brings them to maturity, when the idle savage stretches forth his hand and satisfies his appetite. CHAPTER XXVII KINDLINESS OF THE CANNIBALS I HAVE already mentioned that the influence exerted over the people of the valley by their chiefs was mild in the extreme: and as to any general rule or standard of conduct by which the commonalty were governed in their intercourse with each other, so far as my observation ex tended, I should be almost tempted to say that none existed on the island, except, indeed, the mysterious "taboo" be considered as such. During the time I lived among the Typees, no one was ever put upon his trial for any offence against the public. To all appear ances there were no courts of law or equity. There were no municipal police for the purpose of apprehend ing vagrants and disorderly characters. In short, there were no legal provisions whatever for the well-being and conservation of society, the enlightened end of civi lised legislation. And yet everything went on in the val ley with a harmony and smoothness unparalleled, I will venture to assert, in the most select, refined, and pious associations of mortals in Christendom. How are we to explain this enigma? These islanders were heathens! savages! ay, cannibals! and how came they, without the aid of established law, to exhibit, in so emi nent a degree, that social order which is the greatest blessing and highest pride of the social state? In the darkest nights they slept securely, with all their worldly wealth around them, in houses the doors of 263 264 TYPEE which were never fastened. The disquieting ideas of theft or assassination never disturbed them. Each islander reposed beneath his own palmetto thatching, or sat under his own bread-fruit tree, with none to molest or alarm him. There was not a padlock in the valley, nor anything that answered the purpose of one; still there was no community of goods. This long spear, so elegantly carved and highly polished, belongs to Wor- moonoo; it is far handsomer than the one which old Marheyo so greatly prizes; it is the most valuable article belonging to its owner. And yet I have seen it leaning against a cocoa-nut tree in the grove, and there it was found when sought for. Here is a sperm-whale tooth, graven all over with cunning devices: it is the property of Karluna; it is the most precious of the damsel s ornaments. In her estimation its price is far above rubies and yet there hangs the dental jewel by its cord of braided bark, in the girl s house, which is far back in the valley ; the door is left open, and all the inmates have gone off to bathe in the stream. 1 So much for the respect in which "personal property" is held in Typee; how secure an investment of "real property" may be I cannot take upon me to say. 1 The strict honesty which the inhabitants of nearly all the Polynesian Islands manifest towards each other is in striking con trast with the thieving propensities some of them evince in their intercourse with foreigners. It would almost seem that, accord ing to their peculiar code of morals, the pilfering of a hatchet or a wrought nail from a European is looked upon as a praise worthy action. Or rather, it may be presumed that, bearing in mind the wholesale forays made upon them by their nautical visitors, they consider the property of the latter as a fair object of reprisal. This consideration, while it serves to reconcile an ap parent contradiction in the moral character of the islanders, should in some measure alter that low opinion of it which the reader of South Sea voyages is too apt to form [Melville s note]. KINDLINESS OF THE CANNIBALS 265 Whether the land of the valley was the joint property of its inhabitants, or whether it was parcelled out among a certain number of landed proprietors who allowed everybody to "squat" and "poach" as much as he pleased, I never could ascertain. At any rate, musty parchments and title deeds there were none on the island; and I am half inclined to believe that its inhabitants hold their broad valleys in fee simple from Nature herself ; to have and to hold, so long as grass grows and water runs, or until their French visitors, by a summary mode of con veyancing, shall appropriate them to their own benefit and behoof. Yesterday I saw Kory-Kory hie him away, armed with a long pole, with which, standing on the ground, he knocked down the fruit from the topmost boughs of the trees, and brought them home in his basket of cocoa-nut leaves. To-day I see an islander, whom I know to reside in a distant part of the valley, doing the self-same thing. On the sloping bank of the stream are a number of banana-trees. I have often seen a score or two of young people making a merry foray on the great golden clusters, and bearing them off, one after another, to different parts of the vale, shouting and tramping as they went. No churlish old curmudgeon could have been the owner of that grove of bread-fruit trees, or of these gloriously yellow bunches of bananas. From what I have said it will be perceived that there is a vast difference between "personal property" and "real estate" in the valley of Typee. Some individuals, of course, are more wealthy than others. For example: the ridge-pole of Marheyo s house bends under the weight of many a huge package of tappa; his long couch is laid with mats placed one upon the other seven deep. Outside, Tinor has ranged along in her bamboo cupboard 266 TYPEE or whatever the place may be called a goodly array of calabashes and wooden trenchers. Now, the house just beyond the grove, and next to Marheyo s, occupied by Ruaruga, is not quite so well furnished. There are only three moderate-sized packages swinging overhead: there are only two layers of mats beneath, and the cala bashes and trenches are not so numerous, nor so taste fully stained and carved. But then, Ruaruga has a house not so pretty a one, to be sure but just as commo dious as Marheyo s; and, I suppose, if he wished to vie with his neighbour s establishment, he could do so with very little trouble. These, in short, constituted the chief differences perceivable in the relative wealth of the people in Typee. Civilisation does not engross all the virtues of hu manity: she has not even her full share of them. They flourish in greater abundance and attain greater strength among many barbarous people. The hospitality of the wild Arab, the courage of the North American Indian, and the faithful friendships of some of the Polynesian nations far surpass anything of a similar kind among the polished communities of Europe. If truth and jus tice, and the better principles of our nature, cannot exist unless enforced by the statute-book, how are we to account for the social condition of the Typees? So pure and upright were they in all the relations of life that entering their valley, as I did, under the most erroneous impressions of their character, I was soon led to exclaim in amazement: "Are these the ferocious sav ages, the blood-thirsty cannibals of whom I have heard such frightful tales! They deal more kindly with each other, and are more humane, than many who study essays on virtue and benevolence, and who repeat every night that beautiful prayer breathed first by the lips of KINDLINESS OF THE CANNIBALS 267 the divine and gentle Jesus." I will frankly declare that after passing a few weeks in this valley of the Mar quesas, I formed a higher estimate of human nature than I had ever before entertained. But alas! since then I have been one of the crew of a man-of-war, and the pent-up wickedness of five hundred men has nearly overturned all my previous theories. There was one admirable trait in the general charac ter of the Typees which, more than any thing else, se cured my admiration: it was the unanimity of feeling they displayed on every occasion. With them there hardly appeared to be any difference of opinion upon any subject whatever. They all thought and acted alike. I do not conceive that they could support a debating society for a single night; there would be noth ing to dispute about; and were they to call a convention to take into consideration the state of the tribe, its ses sion would be a remarkably short one. They showed this spirit of unanimity in every action of life: every thing was done in concert and good fellowship. I will give an instance of this fraternal feeling. One day, in returning with Kory-Kory from my ac customed visit to the Ti, we passed by a little opening in the grove, on one side of which, my attendant in formed me, was that afternoon to be built a dwelling of bamboo. At least a hundred of the natives were bring ing materials to the ground, some carrying in their hands one or two of the canes which were to form the sides, others slender rods of the hibiscus, strung with palmetto leaves, for the roof. Every one contributed something to the work; and by the united, but easy, and even indolent, labors of all, the entire work was completed before sunset. The islanders, while em ployed in erecting this tenement, reminded me of a 268 TYPEE colony of beavers at work. To be sure, they were hardly as silent and demure as those wonderful crea tures, nor were they by any means as diligent. To tell the truth, they were somewhat inclined to be lazy, but a perfect tumult of hilarity prevailed; and they worked together so unitedly, and seemed actuated by such an instinct of friendliness, that it was truly beautiful to behold. Not a single female took part in this employment; and if the degree of consideration in which the ever- adorable sex is held by the men be as the philoso phers affirm a just criterion of the degree of refine ment among a people, then I may truly pronounce the Typees to be as polished a community as ever the sun shone upon. The religious restrictions of the taboo alone excepted, the women of the valley were allowed every possible indulgence. Nowhere are the ladies more assiduously courted; nowhere are they better appreciated as the contributors to our highest enjoyments; and no where are they more sensible of their power. Far differ ent from their condition among many rude nations, where the women are made to perform all the work while their ungallant lords and masters lie buried in sloth, the gentle sex in the valley of Typee were exempt from toil, if toil it might be called that, even in that tropical cli mate, never distilled one drop of perspiration. Their light household occupations, together with the manufac ture of tappa, the platting of mats, and the polishing of drinking-vessels, were the only employments pertaining to the women. And even these resembled those pleasant avocations which fill up the elegant morning leisure of our fashionable ladies at home. But in these occupa tions, slight and agreeable though they were, the giddy young girls very seldom engaged. Indeed these wilful, KINDLINESS OF THE CANNIBALS 269 care-killing damsels were averse to all useful employment. Like so many spoiled beauties, they ranged through the g rove3 bathed in the stream danced flirted played all manner of mischievous pranks, and passed their days in one merry round of thoughtless happiness. During my whole stay on the island I never witnessed a single quarrel, nor anything that in the slightest de gree approached even to a dispute. The natives appeared to form one household, whose members were bound to gether by the ties of strong affection. The love of kin dred I did not so much perceive, for it seemed blended in the general love ; and where all were treated as brothers and sisters, it was hard to tell who were actually related to each other by blood. Let it not be supposed that I have overdrawn this picture. I have not done so. Nor let it be urged that the hostility of this tribe to foreigners, and the hereditary feuds they carry on against their fellow-islanders beyond the mountains, are facts which contradict me. Not so: these apparent discrepancies are easily reconciled. By many a legendary tale of violence and wrong, as well as by events which have passed before their eyes, these people have been taught to look upon white men with ab horrence. The cruel invasion of their country by Porter has alone furnished them with ample provocation; and I can sympathise in the spirit which prompts the Typee warrior to guard all the passes to his valley with the point of his levelled spear, and, standing upon the beach, with his back turned upon his green home, to hold at bay the intruding European. As to the origin of the enmity of this particular clan towards the neighbouring tribes, I cannot so confidently speak. I will not say that their foes are the aggressors, nor will I endeavour to palliate their conduct. But 2 7 6 TYPEE surely, if our evil passions must find vent, it is far better to expend them on strangers and aliens than in the bosom of the community in which we dwell. In many polished countries civil contentions, as well as domestic enmities, are prevalent, at the same time that the most atrocious foreign wars are waged. How much less guilty, then, are our islanders, who of these three sins are only chargeable with one, and that the least criminal! The reader will ere long have reason to suspect that the Typees are not free from the guilt of cannibalism, and he will then, perhaps, charge me with admiring a people against whom so odious a crime is chargeable. But this only enormity in their character is not half so horrible as it is usually described. According to the popular fictions, the crews of vessels, shipwrecked on some barbarous coast, are eaten alive like so many dainty joints by the uncivil inhabitants; and unfortunate voyagers are lured into smiling and treacherous bays, knocked in the head with outlandish war-clubs, and served up without any preliminary dressing. In truth, so horrific and improbable are these accounts that many sensible and well-informed people will not believe that any cannibals exist, and place every book of voyages which purports to give any account of them on the same shelf with Blue Beard and Jack the Giant-Killer; while others, implicitly crediting the most extravagant fictions, firmly believe that there are people in the world with tastes so depraved that they would infinitely prefer a single mouthful of material humanity to a good dinner of roast beef and plum pudding. But here Truth, who loves to be centrally located, is again found between the two extremes; for cannibalism to a certain moderate extent is practised among several of the primitive tribes KINDLINESS OF THE CANNIBALS 271 in the Pacific, but it is upon the bodies of slain enemies alone; and horrible and fearful as the custom is, im measurably as it is to be abhorred and condemned, still I assert that those who indulge in it are in other respects humane and virtuous. CHAPTER XXVIII FISHING THERE was no instance in which the social and kindly dispositions of the Typees were more forcibly evinced than in the manner they conducted their great fishing parties. Four times during my stay in the valley the young men assembled near the full of the moon and went together on these excursions. As they were gen erally absent about forty-eight hours, I was led to believe that they went out towards the open sea, some distance from the bay. The Polynesians seldom use a hook and line, almost always employing large well-made nets, most ingeniously fabricated from the twisted fibres of a cer tain bark. I examined several of them which had been spread to dry upon the beach at Nukuheva. They re semble very much our own seines, and I should think were very nearly as durable. All the South Sea Islanders are passionately fond of fish; but none of them can be more so than the inhabi tants of Typee. I could not comprehend, therefore, why they so seldom sought it in their waters, for it was only at stated times that the fishing parties were formed, and these occasions were always looked forward to with no small degree of interest. During their absence the whole population of the place were in a ferment, and nothing was talked of but "pehee, peehee" (fish, fish). Towards the time when they were expected to return the vocal telegraph was 272 FISHING 273 put into operation the inhabitants, who were scat tered throughout the length of the valley, leaped upon rocks and into trees, shouting with delight at the thoughts of the anticipated treat. As soon as the approach of the party was announced, there was a general rush of the men towards the beach, some of them remaining, however, about the Ti, in order to get matters in readi ness for the reception of the fish, which were brought to the Taboo groves in immense packages of leaves, each one of them being suspended from a pole carried on the shoulders of two men. I was present at the Ti on one of these occasions, and the sight was most interesting. After all the packages had arrived, they were laid in a row under the verandah of the building and opened. The fish were all quite small, generally about the size of a herring, and of every variety of colour. About one-eighth of the whole being reserved for the use of the Ti itself, the remainder was divided into numerous smaller packages, which were immediately dispatched in every direction to the remotest parts of the valley. Arrived at their destination, these were in turn portioned out, and equally distributed among the various houses of each particular district. The fish were under a strict Taboo until the distribution was completed, which seemed to be effected in the most impartial manner. By the operation of this system every man, woman, and child in the vale were at one and the same time partaking of this favourite article of food. Once I remember the party arrived at midnight; but the unseasonableness of the hour did not repress the impatience of the islanders. The carriers dispatched from the Ti were to be seen hurrying in all directions through the deep groves, each individual preceded by 274 TYPEE a boy bearing a flaming torch of dried cocoa-nut boughs, which from time to time was replenished from the ma terials scattered along the path. The wild glare of these enormous flambeaux, lighting up with startling brilliancy the innermost recesses of the vale and seen moving rap idly along beneath the canopy of leaves, the savage shout of the excited messengers sounding the news of their approach, which was answered on all sides, and the strange appearance of their naked bodies, seen against the gloomy background, produced altogether an effect upon my mind that I shall long remember. It was on this occasion that Kory-Kory awakened me at the dead hour of night, and in a sort of transport communicated the intelligence contained in the words "pehee pemi" (fish come). As I happened to have been in a remarkably sound and refreshing slumber, I could not imagine why the information had not been deferred until morning; indeed, I felt very much inclined to fly into a passion and box my valet s ears; but on second thoughts I got quietly up, and on going outside the house was not a little interested by the moving illumina tion which I beheld. When old Marheyo received his share of the spoils, immediate preparations were made for a midnight ban- .quet; calabashes of poee-poee were filled to the brim; green bread-fruit was roasted; and a huge cake of "amar" was cut up with a sliver of bamboo and laid out on an immense banana-leaf. At this supper we were, lighted by several of the native tapers, held in the hands of young girls. These tapers are most ingeniously made. There is a nut abound ing in the valley, called by the Typees "armor," closely resembling our common horse-chestnut. The shell is broken, and the contents extracted whole. Any number FISHING 275 of these are strung at pleasure upon the long elastic fibre that traverses the branches of the cocoa-nut tree. Some of these tapers are eight and ten feet in length; but being perfectly flexible, one end is held in a coil, while the other is lighted. The nut burns with a fitful bluish flame, and the oil that it contains is exhausted in about ten minutes. As one burns down, the next becomes ig nited, and the ashes of the former are knocked into a cocoa-nut shell kept for the purpose. This primitive candle requires continual attention, and must be con stantly held in the hand. The person so employed marks the lapse of time by the number of nuts consumed, which is easily learned by counting the bits of tappa distributed at regular intervals along the string. I grieve to state so distressing a fact, but the inhabi tants of Typee were in the habit of devouring fish much in the same way that a civilized being would eat a radish, and without any more previous preparation. They eat it raw scales, bones, gills, and all the inside. The fish is held by the tail, and the head being introduced into the mouth, the animal disappears with a rapidity that would at first nearly lead one to imagine it had been launched bodily down the throat. Raw fish! Shall I ever forget my sensations when I first saw my island beauty devour one? Oh heavens! Fayaway, how could you ever have contracted so vile a habit? However, after the first shock had subsided, the custom grew less odious in my eyes, and I soon accustomed myself to the sight. Let no one imagine, however, that the lovely Fayaway was in the habit of swallowing great vulgar-looking fishes; oh, no; with her beautiful small hand she would clasp a delicate, little, golden-hued love of a fish, and eat it as elegantly and as innocently as though it were Naples biscuit. But, alas! 276 TYPEE it was a raw fish; and all I can say is that Fayaway ate it in a more ladylike manner than any other girl of the valley. When at Rome do as the Romans do I held to be so good a proverb that being in Typee I made a point of doing as the Typees did. Thus I ate poee-poee as they did; I walked about in a garb striking for its simplicity; and I reposed on a community of couches, besides doing many other things in conformity with their peculiar habits; but the farthest I ever went in the way of con formity, was on several occasions to regale myself with raw fish. These being remarkably tender, and quite small, the undertaking was not so disagreeable in the main, and after a few trials I positively began to relish them: however, I subjected them to a slight operation with my knife previously to making my repast. CHAPTER XXIX NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY I THINK I must enlighten the reader a little about the natural history of the valley. Whence, in the name of Count Buffon and Baron Cuvier, came those dogs that I saw in Typee? Dogs! Big hairless rats rather, all with smooth, shining speckled hides, fat sides, and very disagreeable faces. Whence could they have come? That they were not the indigenous production of the region, I am firmly convinced. Indeed, they seemed aware of their being interlopers, looking fairly ashamed and always trying to hide themselves in some dark corner. It was plain enough they did not feel at home in the vale that they wished themselves well out of it, and back to the ugly country from which they must have come. Scurvy curs! they were my abhorrence; I should have liked nothing better than to have been the death of every one of them. In fact, on one occasion I inti mated the propriety of a canine crusade to Mehevi; but the benevolent king would not consent to it. He heard me very patiently, but when I had finished, shook his head and told me, in confidence, that they were "taboo." As for the animal that made the fortune of the ex- lord-mayor Whittington: I shall never forget the day that I was lying in the house about noon, everybody else being fast asleep, and happening to raise my eyes, met those of a big black spectral cat, which sat erect in the 277 278 TYPEE doorway, looking at me with its frightful goggling green orbs, like one of those monstrous imps that tor ment some of Teniers saints! I am one of those un fortunate persons to whom the sight of these animals is at any time an insufferable annoyance. Thus constitutionally averse to cats in general, the unexpected apparition of this one in particular utterly confounded me. When I had a little recovered from the fascination of its glance, I started up; the cat fled, and emboldened by this, I rushed out of the house in pursuit; but it had disappeared. It was the only time I ever saw one in the valley, and how it got there I cannot imagine. It is just possible that it might have escaped from one of the ships at Nukuheva. It was in vain to seek information on the subject from the natives, since none of them had seen the animal, the appearance of which remains a mystery to me to this day. Among the few animals which are to be met with in Typee, there were none which I looked upon with more interest than a beautiful golden-hued species of lizard. It measured perhaps five inches from head to tail, and was most gracefully proportioned. Numbers of these creatures were to be seen basking in the sunshine upon the thatching of the houses, and multitudes at all hours of the day showed their glittering sides as they ran frolicking between the spears of grass or raced in troops up and down the tall shafts of the cocoa-nut trees. But the remarkable beauty of these little animals and their lively ways were not their only claims upon my admira tion. They were perfectly tame and insensible to fear. Frequently, after seating myself upon the ground in some shady place during the heat of the day, I would be completely overrun with them. If I brushed one off my arm ; it would leap perhaps into my hair; when I NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY 279 tried to frighten it away by gently pinching its leg, it would turn for protection to the very hand that at tacked it. The birds are also remarkably tame. If you hap pened to see one perched upon a branch within reach of your arm and advanced towards it, it did not fly away immediately, but waited quietly looking at you, until you could almost touch it, and then took wing slowly, less alarmed at your presence, it would seem, tiian desir ous of removing itself from your path. Had salt been less scarce in the valley than it was, this was the very place to have gone birding with it. I remember that once, on an uninhabited island of the Gallipagos, a bird alighted on my outstretched arm, while its mate chirped from an adjoining tree. Its tameness, far from shocking me, as a similar occurrence did Selkirk, imparted to me the most exquisite thrill of delight I ever experienced; and with somewhat of the same pleasure did I afterwards behold the birds and lizards of the valley show their confidence in the kind liness of man. Among the numerous afflictions which the Europeans have entailed upon some of the natives of the South Seas is the accidental introduction among them of that enemy of all repose and ruffler of even tempers the mosquito. At the Sandwich Islands and at two or three of the Society group there are now thriving colonies of these insects, who promise ere long to supplant alto gether the aboriginal sand-flies. They sting, buzz, and torment from one end of the year to the other. From this grievous visitation, however, the Typees are as yet wholly exempt; but its place is unfortunately in some degree supplied by the occasional presence of a minute species of fly which, without stinging, is never- 2 8o TYPEE theless productive of no little annoyance. The tame- ness of the birds and lizards is as nothing when com pared to the fearless confidence of this insect. He will perch upon one of your eye-lashes, or go to roost there, if you do not disturb him, or force his way through your hair, or along the cavity of the nostril, till you almost fancy he is resolved to explore the very brain itself. On one occasion I was so inconsiderate as to yawn while a number of them were hovering around me. I never repeated the act. Some half-dozen darted into the open apartment, and began walking about its ceiling; the sensation was dreadful. I involuntarily closed my mouth, and the poor creatures being enveloped in inner darkness, must in their consternation have stumbled over my palate, and been precipitated into the gulf beneath. At any rate, though I afterwards char itably held my mouth open for at least five minutes, with a view of affording egress to the stragglers, none of them ever availed themselves of the opportunity. There are no wild animals of any kind on the island, unless it be decided that the natives themselves are such. The mountains and the interior present to the eye nothing but silent solitudes, unbroken by the roar of beasts of prey, and enlivened by few tokens even of minute animated existence. There are no venomous reptiles and no snakes of any description to be found in any of the valleys. In a company of Marquesan natives the weather affords no topic of conversation. It can hardly be said to have any vicissitudes. The rainy season, it is true, brings frequent showers, but they are intermitting and refreshing. When an islander bound on some expedi tion rises from his couch in the morning, he is never solicitous to peep out and see how the sky looks or NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY 281 ascertain from what quarter the wind blows. He is always sure of a "fine day," and the promise of a few genial showers he hails with pleasure. There is never any of that "remarkable weather" on the island which from time immemorial has been experienced in America, and still continues to call forth the wondering conver sational exclamations of its elderly citizens. Nor do there even occur any of those eccentric meteorological changes which elsewhere surprise us. In the valley of Typee ice-creams would never be rendered less accept able by sudden frosts, nor would picnic parties be de ferred on account of inauspicious snow-storms; for there day follows day in one unvarying round of summer and sunshine, and the whole year is one long tropical month of June just melting into July. It is this genial climate which causes the cocoa-nuts to flourish as they do. This invaluable fruit, brought to perfection by the rich soil of the Marquesas, and borne aloft on a stately column more than a hundred feet from the ground, would seem at first almost inac- cesible to the simple natives. Indeed the slender, smooth, and soaring shaft, without a single limb or protuberance of any kind to assist one in mounting it, presents an obstacle only to be overcome by the surprising agility and ingenuity of the islanders. It might be supposed that their indolence would lead them patiently to await the period when the ripened nuts, slowly parting from their stems, fall one by one to the ground. This certainly would be the case, were it not that the young fruit, en cased in a soft green husk, with the incipient meat ad hering in a jelly-like pellicle to its sides, and containing a bumper of the most delicious nectar, is what they chiefly prize. They have at least twenty different terms to express as many progressive stages in the growth of 282 TYPEE the nut. Many of them reject the fruit altogether except at a particular period of its growth, which, incredible as it may appear, they seemed to me to be able to ascertain within an hour or two. Others are still more capricious in their tastes; and after gathering together a heap of the nuts of all ages, and ingeniously tapping them, will sip first from one and then from another, as fastidiously as some delicate wine-bibber experimenting glass in hand among his dusty demijohns of different vintages. Some of the young men, with more flexible frames than their comrades, and perhaps with more courageous souls, had a way of walking up the trunk of the cocoa- nut trees which to me seemed little less than miraculous; and when looking at them in the act, I experienced that curious perplexity a child feels when he beholds a fly moving feet uppermost along a ceiling. I will endeavour to describe the way in which Narnee, a noble young chief, sometimes performed this feat for my peculiar gratification; but his preliminary perform ances must also be recorded. Upon my signifying my desire that he should pluck me the young fruit of some particular tree, the handsome savage, throwing himself into a sudden attitude- of surprise, feigns astonishment at the apparent absurdity of the request. Maintaining this position for a moment, the strange emotions depicted on his countenance soften down into one of humourous resignation to my will, and then looking wistfully up to the tufted top of the tree, he stands tip-toe, straining his neck and elevating his arm, as though endeavouring to reach the fruit from the ground where he stands. As if defeated in this childish attempt, he now sinks to the earth despondingly, beating his breast in well-acted de spair; and then, starting to his feet all at once, and throwing back his head, raises both hands, like a school- NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY 283 boy about to catch a falling ball. After continuing this for a moment or two, as if in expectation that the fruit was going to be tossed down to him by some good spirit in the tree-top, he turns wildly round in another fit of despair, and scampers off to the distance of thirty or forty yards. Here he remains awhile, eying the tree, the very picture of misery; but the next moment, re ceiving, as it were, a flash of inspiration, he rushes again towards it, and clasping both arms about the trunk, with one elevated a little above the other, he presses the soles of his feet close together against the tree, extending his legs from it until they are nearly horizontal, and his body becomes doubled into an arch ; then, hand over hand and foot after foot, he rises from the earth with steady rapid ity, and almost before you are aware of it has gained the cradled and embowered nest of nuts, and with boisterous glee flings the fruit to the ground. This mode of walking the tree is only practicable where the trunk declines considerably from the perpen dicular. This, however, is almost always the case, some of the perfectly straight shafts of the trees leaning at an angle of thirty degrees. The less active among the men, and many of the chil dren of the valley, have another method of climbing. They take a broad and stout piece of bark and secure either end of it to their ankles, so that when the feet thus confined are extended apart, a space of little more than twelve inches is left between them. This contri vance greatly facilitates the act of climbing. The band pressed against the tree, and closely embracing it, yields a pretty firm support, while with the arms clasped about the trunk, and at regular intervals sustaining the body, the feet are drawn up nearly a yard at a time, and a cor responding elevation of the hands immediately succeeds. 284 TYPEE In this way I have seen little children, scarcely five years of age, fearlessly climbing the slender pole of a young cocoa-nut tree, and while hanging perhaps fifty feet from the ground, receive the plaudits of their parents beneath, who clapped their hands and encouraged them to mount still higher. What, thought I, on first witnessing one of these ex hibitions, would the nervous mothers of America and England say to a similar display of hardihood in any of their children? The Lacedaemonian nations might have approved of it, but most modern dames would have gone into hysterics at the sight. At the top of the cocoa-nut tree the numerous branches radiating on all sides from a common centre form a sort of green and waving basket, between the leaflets of which you just discern the nuts thickly clustering to gether, and on the loftier trees looking no bigger from the ground than bunches of grapes. I remember one adventurous little fellow Too-Too was the rascal s name who had built himself a sort of aerial baby-house in the picturesque tuft of a tree adjoining Marheyo s habitation. He used to spend hours there, rustling among the branches, and shouting with delight every time the strong gusts of wind rushing down from the mountain s side swayed to and fro the tall and flexible column on which he was perched. Whenever I heard Too-Too s musical voice, sounding strangely to the ear from so great a height, and beheld him peeping down upon me from out his leafy covert, he always recalled to my mind Dibdin s lines "There s a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, To look out for the life of poor Jack." Birds bright and beautiful birds fly over the valley of Typee. You see them perched aloft among NATURAL HISTORY OF THE VALLEY 285 the immovable boughs of the majestic bread-fruit trees, or gently swaying on the elastic branches of the omoo; skimming over the palmetto thatching of the bamboo huts; passing like spirits on the wing through the shad ows of the grove, and sometimes descending into the bosom of the valley in gleaming flights from the moun tains. Their plumage is purple and azure, crimson and white, black and gold, with bills of every tint bright bloody-red, jet black, and ivory white; and their eyes are bright and sparkling; they go sailing through the air in starry throngs; but alas! the spell of dumbness is upon them all there is not a single warbler in the valley ! x I know not why it was, but the sight of these birds, generally the ministers of gladness, always oppressed me with melancholy. As in their dumb beauty they hovered by me whilst I was walking, or looked down upon me with steady curious eyes from out the foliage, I was al most inclined to fancy that they knew they were gazing upon a stranger, and that they commiserated his fate. 1 Stevenson, however, mentions singing birds in other parts of the island: The South Seas, Chapter XV (August 27) [Editor s note]. CHAPTER XXX TATTOOING AND TABOOING IN one of my strolls with Kory-Kory, in passing along the border of a thick growth of bushes, my atten tion was arrested by a singular noise. On entering the thicket I witnessed for the first time the operation of tattooing as performed by these islanders. I beheld a man extended flat upon his back on the ground, and, despite the forced composure of his coun tenance, it was evident that he was suffering agony. His tormentor bent over him, working away for all the world like a stone-cutter with mallet and chisel. In one hand he held a short slender stick, pointed with a shark s tooth, on the upright end of which he tapped with a small hammer-like piece of wood, thus puncturing the skin and charging it with the colouring matter in which the instrument was dipped. A cocoa-nut shell contain ing this fluid was placed upon the ground. It is pre pared by mixing with a vegetable juice the ashes of the "armor," or candle-nut, always preserved for the pur pose. Beside the savage, and spread out upon a piece of soiled tappa, were a great number of curious black- looking little implements of bone and wood, used in the various divisions of his art. A few terminated in a single fine point, and, like very delicate pencils, were employed in giving the finishing touches, or in operating upon the more sensitive portions of the body, as was the case in the present instance. Others presented several points 286 TATTOOING AND TABOOING 287 distributed in a line, somewhat resembling the teeth of a saw. These were employed in the coarser parts of the work, and particularly in pricking in straight marks. Some presented their points disposed in small figures, and being placed upon the body, were, by a single blow of the hammer, made to leave their indelible impression. I observed a few the handles of which were mysteriously curved, as if intended to be introduced into the orifice of the ear, with a view perhaps of beating the tattoo upon the tympanum. Altogether the sight of these strange instruments recalled to mind that display of cruel-looking mother-of-pearl-handled things which one sees in their velvet-lined cases at the elbow of a dentist. The artist was not at this time engaged on an original sketch, his subject being a venerable savage whose tat tooing had become somewhat faded with age and needed a few repairs, and accordingly he was merely employed in touching up the works of some of the old masters of the Typee school, as delineated upon the human canvas before him. The parts operated upon were the eyelids, where a longitudinal streak, like the one which adorned Kory-Kory, crossed the countenance of the victim. In spite of all the efforts of the poor old man, sundry twitchings and screwings of the muscles of the face de noted the exquisite sensibility of these shutters to the windows of his soul which he was now having repainted. But the artist, with a heart as callous as that of an army surgeon, continued his performance, enlivening his labours with a wild chant, tapping away the while as merrily as a woodpecker. So deeply engaged was he in his work that he had not observed our approach until, after having enjoyed an unmolested view of the operation, I chose to attract Jus attention. As soon as he perceived me, supposing 288 TYPEE that I sought him in his professional capacity, he seized hold of me in a paroxysm of delight, and was all eager ness to begin the work. When, however, I gave him to understand that he had altogether mistaken my views, nothing could exceed his grief and disappoint ment. But recovering from this, he seemed determined not to credit my assertion, and grasping his implements, he flourished them about in fearful vicinity to my face, going through an imaginary performance of his art, and every moment bursting into some admiring exclamation at the beauty of his designs. Horrified at the bare thought of being rendered hid eous for life if the wretch were to execute his purpose upon me, I struggled to get away from him, while Kory-Kory, turning traitor, stood by and besought me to comply with the outrageous request. On my reit erated refusals the excited artist got half beside him self, and was overwhelmed with sorrow at losing so noble an opportunity of distinguishing himself in his profession. The idea of engrafting his tattooing upon my white skin filled him with all a painter s enthusiasm: again and again he gazed into my countenance, and every fresh glimpse seemed to add to the vehemence of his ambition. Not knowing to what extremities he might proceed, and shuddering at the ruin he might inflict upon my figure-head, I now endeavoured to draw off his attention from it, and holding out my arm in a fit of desperation, signed to him to commence operations. But he rejected the compromise indignantly, and still con tinued his attack on my face, as though nothing short of that would satisfy him. When his forefinger swept across my features, in laying out the borders of those parallel bands which were to encircle my countenance, TATTOOING AND TABOOING 289 the flesh fairly crawled upon my bones. At last, half wild with terror and indignation, I succeeded in break ing away from the three savages and fled towards old Marheyo s house, pursued by the indomitable artist, who ran after me, implements in hand. Kory-Kory, however, at last interferred and drew him off from the chase. This incident opened my eyes to a new danger; and I now felt convinced that in some luckless hour I should be disfigured in such a manner as never more to have the face to return to my countrymen, even should an opportunity offer. These apprehensions were greatly increased by the desire which King Mehevi and several of the inferior chiefs now manifested that I should be tattooed. The pleasure of the king was first signified to me some three days after my casual encounter with Karky the artist. Heavens! What imprecations I showered upon that Karky! Doubtless he had plotted a conspiracy against me and my countenance, and would never rest until his diabolical purpose was accomplished. Several times I met him in various parts of the valley, and invariably, whenever he descried me, he came running after me with his mallet and chisel, flourishing them about my face as if he longed to begin. What an object he would have made of me! When the king first expressed his wish to me, I made known to him my utter abhorrence of the measure, and worked myself into such a state of excitement that he absolutely stared at me in amazement. It evidently surpassed his majesty s comprehension how any sober- minded and sensible individual could entertain the least possible objection to so beautifying an operation. Soon afterwards he repeated his suggestion, and 2 90 TYPEE meeting with a like repulse, showed some symptoms of displeasure at my obduracy. On his a third time re newing his request, I plainly perceived that something must be done, or my visage was ruined forever; I there fore screwed up my courage to the sticking point, and declared my willingness to have both arms tattooed from just above the wrist to the shoulder. His majesty was greatly pleased at the proposition, and I was congratu lating myself with having thus compromised the mat ter, when he intimated that as a thing of course my face was first to undergo the operation. I was fairly driven to despair; nothing but the utter ruin of my "face divine," as the poets call it, would, I perceived, satisfy the inexorable Mehevi and his chiefs, or rather that infernal Karky, for he was at the bottom of it all. The only consolation afforded me was a choice of patterns: I was at perfect liberty to have my face spanned by three horizontal bars, after the fashion of my serving-man s; or to have as many oblique stripes slanting across it; or if, like a true courtier, I chose to model my style on that of royalty, I might wear a sort of freemason badge upon my countenance in the shape of a mystic triangle. However, I would have none of these, though the. king most earnestly impressed upon my mind that my choice was wholly unrestricted. At last, seeing my unconquerable repugnance, he ceased to importune me. But not so some other of the savages. Hardly a day passed but I was subjected to their annoying requests, until at last my existence became a burden to me; the pleasures I had previously enjoyed no longer afforded me delight, and all my former desire to escape from the valley now revived with additional force. A fact which I soon afterwards learned augmented TATTOOING AND TABOOING 291 my apprehension. The whole system of tattooing was, I found, connected with their religion, and it was evi dent, therefore, that they were resolved to make a convert of me. In the decoration of the chiefs it seems to be neces sary to exercise the most elaborate pencilling, while some of the inferior natives looked as if they had been daubed over indiscriminately with a house-painter s brush. I remember one fellow who prided himself hugely upon a great oblong patch, placed high upon his back, and who always reminded me of a man with a blister of Spanish flies stuck between his shoulders. Another whom I frequently met had the hollow of his eyes tattooed in two regular squares, and his visual organs being remarkably brilliant, they gleamed forth from out this setting like a couple of diamonds inserted in ebony. Although convinced that tattooing was a religious ob servance, still the nature of the connection between it and the superstitious idolatry of the people was a point upon which I could never obtain any information. Like the still more important system of the "taboo," it always appeared inexplicable to me. There is a marked similarity, almost an identity, be tween the religious institutions of most of the Polynesian islands, and in all exists the mysterious "taboo," re stricted in its uses to a greater or less extent. So strange and complex in its arrangements is this remarkable system that I have in several cases met with individuals who, after residing for years among the islands in the Pacific and acquiring a considerable knowledge of the language, have nevertheless been altogether unable to give any satisfactory account of its operations. Situ ated as I was in the Typee valley, I perceived every 292 TYPEE hour the effects of this all-controlling power, without in the least comprehending it. Those effects were, indeed, wide-spread and universal, pervading the most impor tant as well as the minutest transactions of life. The savage, in short, lives in the continual observance of its dictates, which guide and control every action of his being. For several days after entering the valley I had been saluted at least fifty times in the twenty- four hours with the talismanic word "taboo" shrieked in my ears, at some gross violation of its provisions of which I had unconsciously been guilty. The day after our arrival I happened to hand some tobacco to Toby over the head of a native who sat between us. He started up, as if stung by an adder, while the whole company, manifesting an equal degree of horror, simultaneously screamed out "Taboo!" I never again perpetrated a similar piece of ill-manners, which, indeed, was forbidden by the canons of good breeding as well as by the man dates of the taboo. But it was not always so easy to per ceive wherein you had contravened the spirit of this in stitution. I was many times called to order, if I may use the phrase, when I could not for the life of me conjecture what particular offence I had committed. One day I was strolling through a secluded portion of the valley, and hearing the musical sound of the cloth-mallet at a little distance, I turned down a path that conducted me in a few moments to a house where there were some half-dozen girls employed in making tappa. This was an operation I had frequently wit nessed, and had handled the bark in all the various stages of its preparation. On the present occasion the females were intent upon their occupation, and after looking up and talking gayly to me for a few moments, TATTOOING AND TABOOING 293 they resumed their employment. I regarded them for a while in silence, and then carelessly picking up a handful of the material that lay around, proceeded un consciously to pick it apart. While thus engaged I was suddenly startled by a scream like that of a whole boarding-school of young ladies just on the point of going into hysterics. Leaping up with the idea of seeing a score of Happar warriors about to perform anew the Sa- bine atrocity, I found myself confronted by the company of girls, who, having dropped their work, stood before me with starting eyes, swelling bosoms, and fingers pointed in horror towards me. Thinking that some venomous reptile must be con cealed in the bark which I held in my hand, I began cautiously to separate and examine it. Whilst I did so the horrified girls redoubled their shrieks. Their wild cries and frightened motions actually alarmed me, and throwing down the tappa, I was about to rush from the house, when in the same instant their clamours ceased, and one of them, seizing me by the arm, pointed to the broken fibres that had just fallen from my grasp, and screamed in my ears the fatal word taboo! I subsequently found out that the fabric they were engaged in making was of a peculiar kind, destined to be worn on the heads of females, and through every stage of its manufacture was guarded by a rigorous taboo which interdicted the whole masculine gender from even so much as touching it. Frequently in walking through the groves I observed bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees with a wreath of leaves twined in a peculiar fashion about their trunks. This was the mark of the taboo. The trees themselves, their fruit, and even the shadows they cast upon the ground, were consecrated by its presence. In the same way a 294 TYPEE pipe which the king had bestowed upon me was ren dered sacred in the eyes of the natives, none of whom could I ever prevail upon to smoke from it. The bowl was encircled by a woven band of grass, somewhat re sembling those Turks heads occasionally worked in the handles of our whip-stalks. A similar badge was once braided about my wrist by the royal hand of Mehevi himself, who, as soon as he had concluded the operation, pronounced me "taboo." This occurred shortly after Toby s disappearance; and were it not that from the first moment I had entered the valley the natives had treated me with uniform kind ness, I should have supposed that their conduct after wards was to be ascribed to the fact that I had received this sacred investiture. The capricious operation of the taboo is not its least remarkable feature; to enumerate them all would be impossible. Black hogs infants to a certain age young men while the operation of tattooing their faces )ing on and certain parts of the valley during the itinuance of a shower are alike fenced about by the operation of the taboo. I witnessed a striking instance of its effects in the bay of Tior, my visit to which place has been alluded to in a former part of this narrative. On that occasion our worthy captain formed one of the party. He was a most insatiable sportsman. Outward bound, and off the pitch of Cape Horn, he used to sit on the taffrail and keep the steward loading three or four old fowling- pieces, with which he would bring down albatrosses, Cape pigeons, jays, petrels, and divers other marine fowl who followed chattering in our wake. The sailors were struck aghast at his impiety, and one and all attributed TATTOOING AND TABOOING 295 our forty days beating about that horrid headland to his sacrilegious slaughter of these inoffensive birds. 1 At Tior he evinced the same disregard for the reli gious prejudices of the islanders as he had previously shown for the superstitions of the sailors. Having heard that there were a considerable number of fowls in the valley the progeny of some cocks and hens acci- dently left there by an English vessel, and which, being strictly tabooed, flew about almost in a wild state he determined to break through all restraints and be the death of them. Accordingly he provided himself with a most formidable looking gun and announced his land ing on the beach by shooting down a noble cock that was crowing what proved to be his own funeral dirge, on the limb of an adjoining tree. "Taboo," shrieked the affrighted savages. "Oh, hang your taboo," says the nautical sportsman; "talk taboo to the marines;" and bang went the piece again, and down came another victim. At this the natives ran scampering through the groves, horror-struck at the enormity of the act. All that afternoon the rocky sides of the valley rang with successive reports, and the superb .plumage of many a beautiful fowl was ruffled by the fatal bullet. Had it not been that the French admiral, with a large party, was then in the glen, I have no doubt that the natives, although their tribe was small and dispirited, would have inflicted summary vengeance upon the man who thus outraged their most sacred institutions; as it was, they contrived to annoy him not a little. Thirsting with his exertions, the skipper directed his steps to a stream; but the savages, who had followed at a little distance, perceiving his object, rushed towards 1 This superstition of sailors is used effectively in Coleridge s The Ancient Mariner [Editors note]. 296 TYPEE him and forced him away from its bank his lips would have polluted it. Wearied at last, he sought to enter a house, that he might rest for a while on the mats; its inmates gathered tumultuously about the door and de nied him admittance. He coaxed and blustered by turns, but in vain; the natives were neither to be intimidated nor appeased, and as a final resort he was obliged to call together his boat s crew and pull away from what he termed the most infernal place he ever stepped upon. Lucky was it for him and for us that we were not honoured on our departure by a salute of stones from the hands of the exasperated Tiors. In this way, on the neighbouring island of Ropo, were killed, but a few weeks previously, and for a nearly similar offence, the master and three of the crew of the W . I cannot determine with anything approaching to cer tainty, what power it is that imposes the taboo. When I consider the slight disparity of condition among the islanders the very limited and inconsiderable preroga tives of the king and chiefs and the loose and indefinite functions of the priesthood, most of whom were hardly to be distinguished from the rest of their countrymen, I am wholly at a loss where to look for the authority which regulates this potent institution. It is imposed upon something to-day, and withdrawn to-morrow, while its operations in other cases are perpetual. Sometimes its restrictions only affect a single individual some times a particular family sometimes a whole tribe; and in a few instances they extend not merely over the various clans on a single island, but over all the inhabi tants of an entire group. In illustration of this latter peculiarity, I may cite the law which forbids a female to enter a canoe a prohibition which prevails upon all .the northern Marquesas Islands. TATTOOING AND TABOOING 297 The word itself (taboo) is used in more than one sig nification. It is sometimes used by a parent to his child, when in the exercise of parental authority he forbids it to perform a particular action. Anything opposed to the ordinary customs of the islanders, although not ex pressly prohibited, is said to be "taboo." The Typee language is one very difficult to be ac quired; it bears a close resemblance to the other Polyne sian dialects, all of which show a common origin. The duplication of words, as "lumee lumee, "poee poee," "muee muee," is one of their peculiar features. But another, and a more annoying one, is the different senses in which one and the same word is employed; its various meanings all have a certain connection, which only makes the matter more puzzling. So one brisk, lively little word is obliged, like a servant in a poor family, to per form all sorts of duties; for instance, one particular combination of syllables expresses the ideas of sleep, rest, reclining, sitting, leaning, and all other things any wise analogous thereto, the particular meaning being shown chiefly by a variety of gestures and the eloquent expression of the countenance. The intricacy of these dialects is another peculiarity. In the Missionary College at Lahainaluna, on Maui, one of the Sandwich Islands, I saw a tabular exhibition of a Hawaiian verb, conjugated through all its moods and tenses. It covered the side of a considerable apartment, and I doubt whether Sir William Jones himself would not have despaired of mastering it. CHAPTER XXXI CURIOUS ODDS AND ENDS SADLY discursive as I have already been, I must still further entreat the reader s patience, as I am about to string together, without any attempt at order, a few odds and ends of things not hitherto mentioned, but which are either curious in themselves or peculiar to the Typees. There was one singular custom, observed in old Mar- heyo s domestic establishment, which often excited my surprise. Every night, before retiring, the inmates of the house gathered together on the mats, and squatting upon their haunches, after the universal practice of these islanders, would commence a low, dismal, and monoto nous chant, .accompanying the voice with the instrumental melody produced by two small half-rotten sticks tapped slowly together, a pair of which were held in the hands of each person present. Thus would they employ them selves for an hour or two, sometimes longer. Lying in the gloom which wrapped the further end of the house, I could not avoid looking at them, although the spectacle suggested nothing but unpleasant reflections. The flick ering rays of the "armor" nut just served to reveal their savage lineaments, without dispelling the darkness that hovered about them. Sometimes when, after falling into a kind of doze, and awakening suddenly in the midst of these doleful chantings, my eye would fall upon the wild-looking 298 CURIOUS ODDS AND ENDS 299 group engaged in their strange occupation, with their naked tattooed limbs and shaven heads disposed in a circle, I was almost tempted to believe that I gazed upon a set of evil beings in the act of working a fright ful incantation. What was the meaning or purpose of this custom, whether it was practised merely as a diversion, or whether it was a religious exercise, a sort of family prayers, I never could discover. The sounds produced by the natives on these occa sions were of a most singular description; and had I not actually been present, I never would have believed that such curious noises could have been produced by human beings. To savages generally is imputed a guttural articula tion. This, however, is not always the case, especially among the inhabitants of the Polynesian Archipelago. The labial melody with which the Typee girls carry on an ordinary conversation, giving a musical prolongation to the final syllable of every sentence, and chirping out some of the words with a liquid, bird-like accent, was singularly pleasing. The men, however, are not quite so harmonious in their utterance, and when excited upon any subject would work themselves up into a sort of wordy paroxysm during which all descriptions of rough-sided sounds were projected from their mouths, with a force and rapidity which were absolutely astonishing. Although these savages are remarkably fond of chant ing, still they appear to have no idea whatever of sing ing, at least as that art is practised among other nations. I never shall forget the first time I happened to roar out a stave in the presence of the noble Mehevi. It was a stanza from the "Bavarian Broom-seller. His 300 TYPEE Typean majesty, with all his court, gazed upon me in amazement, as if I had displayed some preternatural faculty which Heaven had denied to them. The king was delighted with the verse; but the chorus fairly transported him. At his solicitation I sang it again and again, and nothing could be more ludicrous than his vain attempts to catch the air and the words. The royal savage seemed to think that by screwing all the features of his face into the end of his nose he might possibly succeed in the undertaking, but it failed to answer the purpose; and in the end he gave it up, and consoled himself by listening to my repetition of the sounds fifty times over. Previous to Mehevi s making the discovery, I had never been aware that there was anything of the night ingale about me; but I was now promoted to the place of court-minstrel, in which capacity I was afterwards perpetually called upon to officiate. Besides the sticks and the drums, there are no other musical instruments among the Typees, except one which might appropriately be denominated a nasal flute. It is somewhat longer than an ordinary fife, is made of a beau tiful scarlet-coloured reed, and has four or five stops, with a large hole near one end, which latter is held just beneath the left nostril. The other nostril being closed by a peculiar movement of the muscles about the nose, the breath is forced into the tube, and produces a soft dulcet sound, which is varied by the fingers running at random over trie stops. This is a favourite recreation with the females, and one in which Fayaway greatly excelled. Awkward as such an instrument may appear, it was, in Fayaway s delicate little hands, one of the most graceful I have ever seen. A young lady in. the act of CURIOUS ODDS AND ENDS 301 tormenting a guitar strung about her neck by a couple of yards of blue ribbon is not half so engaging. Singing was not the only means I possessed of divert ing the royal Mehevi and his easy-going subjects. Noth ing afforded them more pleasure than to see me go through the attitude of pugilistic encounter. As not one of the natives had soul enough in him to stand up like a man and allow me to hammer away at him, for my own personal gratification and that of the king, I was necessitated to fight with an imaginary enemy, whom I invariably made to knock under to my superior prowess. Sometimes when this sorely battered shadow retreated precipitately towards a group of the savages, and, following him up, I rushed among them, dealing my blows right and left, they would disperse in all direc tions, much to the enjoyment of Mehevi, the chiefs, and themselves. The noble art of self-defence appeared to be regarded by them as the peculiar gift of the white man; and I make little doubt but that they supposed armies of Europeans were drawn up provided with nothing else but bony fists and stout hearts, with which they set to in column and pummelled one another at the word of command. One day, in company with Kory-Kory, I had repaired to the stream for the purpose of bathing, when I observed a woman sitting upon a rock in the midst of the current, and watching with the liveliest interest the gambols of something which at first I took to be an uncommonly large species of frog that was sporting in the water near her. Attracted by the novelty of the sight, I waded towards the spot where she sat, and could hardly credit the evidence of my senses when I beheld a little infant, 302 TYPEE the period of whose birth could not have extended back many days, paddling about as if it had just risen to the surface after being hatched into existence at the bot tom. Occasionally the delighted parent reached out her hands towards it, when the little thing, uttering a faint cry, and striking out its tiny limbs, would sidle for the rock, and the next moment be clasped to its mother s bosom. This was repeated again and again, the baby remaining in the stream about a minute at a time. Once or twice it made wry faces at swallowing a mouthful of water, and choked and spluttered as if on the point of strangling. At such times, however, the mother snatched it up, and by a process scarcely to be mentioned obliged it to eject the fluid. For several weeks afterwards I observed this woman bringing her child down to the stream regularly every day, in the cool of the morning and evening, and treating it to a bath. No wonder that the South Sea Islanders are so amphibious a race, when they are thus launched into the water as soon as they can see the light. I am con vinced that it is as natural for a human being to swim as it is for a duck. And yet in civilized communities how many able-bodied individuals die, like so many drowning kittens, from the occurrence of the most trivial accidents! The long, luxuriant, and glossy tresses of the Typee damsels often attracted my admiration. A fine head of hair is the pride and joy of every woman s heart! Whether, against the express will of Providence, it is twisted up on the crown of the head and there coiled away like a rope on a ship s deck; whether it be stuck behind the ears and hangs down like the swag of a small window-curtain; or whether it be permitted to flow over the shoulders in natural ringlets, it is always the pride of the owner and the glory of the toilet. CURIOUS ODDS AND ENDS 303 The Typee girls devote much of their time to the dressing of their fair and redundant locks. After bath ing, as they sometimes do five or six times every day, the hair is carefully dried, and if they have been in the sea, invariably washed in fresh water and anointed with a highly scented oil extracted from the meat of the cocoa-nut. This oil is obtained in great abundance by the following very simple process: A large vessel of wood, with holes perforated in the bottom, is filled with the pounded meat and exposed to the rays of the sun. As the oleaginous matter exudes, it falls in drops through the apertures into a wide- mouthed calabash placed underneath. After a sufficient quantity has been thus collected, the oil undergoes a purifying process, and is then poured into the small spherical shells of the nuts of the moo-tree, which are hollowed out to receive it. These nuts are then her metically sealed with a resinous gum, and the vegetable fragrance of their green rind soon imparts to the oil a delightful odour. After the lapse of a few weeks the exterior shell of the nuts becomes quite dry and hard, and assumes a beautiful carnation tint ; and when opened they are found to be about two-thirds full of an ointment of a light yellow colour, and diffusing the sweetest per fume. This elegant little odorous globe would not be out of place even upon the toilet of a queen. Its merits as a preparation for the hair are undeniable it imparts to it a superb gloss and a silky fineness. CHAPTER XXXII A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY FROM the time of my casual encounter with Karky the artist, my life was one of absolute wretchedness. Not a day passed but I was persecuted by the solicita tions of some of the natives to subject myself to the odious operation of tattooing. Their importunities drove me half wild, for I felt how easily they might work their will upon me regarding this or anything else which they took into their heads. Still, however, the behaviour of the islanders towards me was as kind as ever. Fay- away was quite as engaging, Kory-Kory as devoted, and Mehevi the king just as gracious and condescending as before. But I had now been three months in their valley, as nearly as I could estimate; I had grown familiar with the narrow limits to which my wanderings had been con fined; and I began bitterly to feel the state of cap tivity in which I was held. There was no one with whom I could freely converse; no one to whom I could com municate my thoughts, no one who could sympathize with my sufferings. A thousand times I thought how much more endurable would have been my lot had Toby still been with me. But I was left alone, and the thought was terrible to me. Still, despite my griefs, I did all in my power to appear composed and cheerful, well know ing that by manifesting any uneasiness, or any desire to escape, I should only frustrate my object. It was during the period I was in this unhappy frame of mind that the painful malady under which I had 304 A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 305 been labouring after having almost completely sub sided began again to show itself, and with symptoms as violent as ever. This added calamity nearly un manned me; the recurrence of the complaint proved that without powerful remedial applications all hope of cure was futile; and when I reflected that just beyond the elevations which bound me in was the medical relief I needed, and that, although so near, it was im possible for me to avail myself of it, the thought was misery. In this wretched situation, every circumstance which evinced the savage nature of the beings at whose mercy I was augmented the fearful apprehensions that con sumed me. An occurrence which happened about this time affected me most powerfully. I have already mentioned that from the ridge-pole of Marheyo s house were suspended a number of packages enveloped in tappa. Many of these I had often seen in the hands of the natives, and their contents had been examined in my presence. But there were three pack ages hanging very nearly over the place where I lay which from their remarkable appearance had often ex cited my curiosity. Several times I had asked Kory- Kory to show me their contents; but my servitor, who in almost every other particular had acceeded to my wishes, always refused to gratify me in this. One day, returning unexpectedly from the Ti, my arrival seemed to throw the inmates of the house into the greatest confusion. They were seated together on the mats, and by the lines which extended from the roof to the floor I immediately perceived that the mys terious packages were for some purpose or other under inspection. The evident alarm the savages betrayed filled me with forebodings of evil and with an uncon- 306 TYPEE trollable desire to penetrate the secret so jealously guarded. Despite the efforts of Marheyo and Kory- Kory to restrain me, I forced my way into the midst of the circle, and just caught a glimpse of three human heads, which others of the party were hurriedly envel oping in the coverings from which they had been taken. One of the three I distinctly saw. It was in a state of perfect preservation, and, from the slight glimpse I had of it, seemed to have been subjected to some smoking operation which had reduced it to the dry, hard, and mummy-like appearance it presented. The two long scalp-locks were twisted up into balls upon the crown of the head in the same way that the individual had worn them during life. The sunken cheeks were rendered yet more ghastly by the rows of glistening teeth which protruded from between the lips, while the sockets of the eyes filled with oval bits of mother-of- pearl shell, with a black spot in the centre heightened the hideousness of its aspect. Two of the three were heads of the islanders; but the third, to my horror, was that of a white man. Al though it had been quickly removed from my sight, still the glimpse I had of it was enough to convince me that I could not be mistaken. Gracious God! what dreadful thoughts entered my mind! In solving this mystery perhaps I had solved another, and the fate of my lost companion might be revealed in the shocking spectacle I had just witnessed. I longed to have torn off the folds of cloth and satis fied the awful doubts under which I laboured. But before I had recovered from the consternation into which I had been thrown, the fatal packages were hoisted aloft and once more swung over my head. The natives now gathered round me tumultuously, and laboured to con- A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 307 vince me that. what I had just seen were the heads of three Happar warriors who had been slain in battle. This glaring falsehood added to my alarm, and it was not until I reflected that I had observed the packages swinging from their elevation before Toby s disappearance that I could at all recover my composure. But although this horrible apprehension had been dis pelled, I had discovered enough to fill me, in my present state of mind, with the most bitter reflections. It was plain that I had seen the last relic of some unfor tunate wretch who must have been massacred on the beach by the savages in one of those perilous trading adventures which I have before described. It was not, however, alone the murder of the stranger that overcame me with gloom. I shuddered at the idea of the subsequent fate his inanimate body might have met with. Was the same doom reserved for me? Was I destined to perish like him like him, perhaps, to be devoured, and my head to be preserved as a fearful memento of the event? My imagination ran riot in these horrid speculations, and I felt certain that the worst possible evils would befall me. But whatever were my misgivings, I studiously concealed them from the islanders, as well as the full extent of the discovery I had made. Although the assurances which the Typees had often given me, that they never eat human flesh, had not con vinced me that such was the case, yet, having been so long a time in the valley without witnessing anything which indicated the existence of the practice, I began to hope that it was an event of very rare occurrence, and that I should be spared the horror of witnessing it during my stay among them; but, alas! these hopes were soon destroyed. 308 TYPEE It is a singular fact that in all our accounts of can nibal tribes we have seldom received the testimony of an eye-witness to the revolting practice. The horrible conclusion has almost always been derived either from the second-hand evidence of Europeans, or else from the admissions of the savages themselves, after they have in some degree become civilized. The Polynesians are aware of the detestation in which Europeans hold this custom, and therefore invariably deny its existence and, with the craft peculiar to savages, endeavour to conceal every trace of it. The excessive unwillingness betrayed by the Sand wich Islanders, even at the present day, to allude to the unhappy fate of Cook has been often remarked. And so well have they succeeded in covering that event with mystery that to this very hour, despite all that has been said and written on the subject, it still remains doubtful whether they wreaked upon his murdered body the ven geance they sometimes inflicted upon their enemies. At Kealakekau, the scene of that tragedy, a strip of ship s copper nailed against an upright post in the ground used to inform the traveller that beneath re posed the "remains" of the great circumnavigator. But I am strongly inclined to believe not only that the corpse was refused Christian burial, but that the heart which was brought to Vancouver some time after the event, and which the Hawaiians stoutly maintained was that of Captain Cook, was no such thing, and that the whole affair was a piece of imposture which was sought to be palmed off upon the credulous Englishman. A few years since there was living on the island of Maui (one of the Sandwich group) an old chief, who, actuated by a morbid desire for notoriety, gave himself out among the foreign residents of the place as the liv- A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 309 ing tomb of Captain Cook s big toe! affirming that at the cannibal entertainment which ensued after the la mented Briton s death, that particular portion of his body had fallen to his share. His indignant countrymen actually caused him to be prosecuted in the native courts, on a charge nearly equivalent to what we term defamation of character; but the old fellow persisting in his asser tion, and no invalidating proof being adduced, the plain tiffs were cast in the suit and the cannibal reputation of the defendant fully established. This result was the making of his fortune; ever afterwards he was in the habit of giving very profitable audiences to all curious travellers who were desirous of beholding the man who had eaten the great navigator s great toe. About a week after my discovery of the contents of the mysterious packages I happened to be at the Ti when another war-alarm was sounded, and the natives, rushing to their arms, sallied out to resist a second in cursion of the Happar invaders. The same scene was again repeated, only that on this occasion I heard at least fifteen reports of muskets from the mountains dur ing the time that the skirmish lasted. An hour or two after its termination, loud paeans chanted through the valley announced the approach of visitors. I stood with Kory-Kory leaning against the railing of the pi-pi awaiting their advance, when a tumultuous crowd of islanders emerged with wild clamours from the neigh bouring groves. In the midst of them marched four men, one preceding the other at regular intervals of eight or ten feet, with poles of a corresponding length extended from shoulder to shoulder, to which were lashed with thongs of bark three long narrow bundles, carefully wrapped in ample coverings of freshly plucked palm-leaves tacked together with slivers of bamboo, 310 TYPEE Here and there upon these green winding-sheets might be seen the stains of blood, while the warriors who car ried the frightful burdens displayed upon their naked limbs similar sanguinary marks. The shaven head of the foremost had a deep gash upon it, and the clotted gore which had flowed from the wound remained in dry patches around it. This savage seemed to be sinking under the weight he bore. The bright tattooing upon his body was covered with blood and dust; his inflamed eyes rolled in their sockets, and his whole appearance denoted extraordinary suffering and exertion; yet, sus tained by some powerful impulse, he continued to ad vance, while the throng around him with wild cheers sought to encourage him. The other three men were marked about the arms and breasts with several slight wounds, which they somewhat ostentatiously displayed. These four individuals, having been the most active in the late encounter, claimed the honour of bearing the bodies of their slain enemies to the Ti. Such was the conclusion I drew from my own observations, and, as far as I could understand, from the explanation which Kory-Kory gave me. The royal Mehevi walked by the side of these heroes. He carried in one hand a musket, from the barrel of which was suspended a small canvas pouch of powder, and in the other he grasped a short javelin, which he held before him and regarded with fierce exultation. This javelin he had wrested from a celebrated champion of the Happars, who had ignominiously fled and was pursued by his foe beyond the summit of the mountain. When within a short distance of the Ti, the warrior with the wounded head, who proved to be Narmonee, tottered forward two or three steps and fell helplessly to the ground, but not before another had caught the A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 311 end of the pole from his shoulder and placed it upon his own. The excited throng of islanders who surrounded the person of the king and the dead bodies of the enemy approached the spot where I stood, brandishing their rude implements of warfare, many of which were bruised and broken, and uttering continual shouts of triumph. When the crowd drew up opposite the Ti, I set myself to watch their proceedings most attentively ; but scarcely had they halted when my servitor, who had left my side for an instant, touched my arm and proposed our re turning to Marheyo s house. To this I objected; but, to my surprise, Kory-Kory reiterated his request, and with an unusual vehemence of manner. Still, however, I refused to comply, and was retreating before him, as in his importunity he pressed upon me, when I felt a heavy hand laid upon my shoulder, and turning round, en countered the bulky form of Mow-Mow, a one-eyed chief, who had just detached himself from the crowd be low and had mounted the rear of the pi-pi upon which we stood. His cheek had been pierced by the point of a spear, and the wound imparted a still more frightful ex pression to his hideously tattooed face, already deformed by the loss of an eye. The warrior, without uttering a syllable, pointed fiercely in the direction of Marheyo s house, while Kory-Kory, at the same time presenting his back, desired me to mount. I declined this offer, but intimated my willingness to withdraw, and moved slowly along the piazza, wonder ing what could be the cause of this unusual treatment. A few minutes consideration convinced me that the savages were about to celebrate some hideous rite in connection with their peculiar customs, at which they were determined I should not be present. I descended 312 TYPEE from the pi-pi, and attended by Kory-Kory, who on this occasion did not show his usual commiseration for my lameness, but seemed only anxious to hurry me on, walked away from the place. As I passed through the noisy throng, which by this time completely environed the Ti, I looked with fearful curiosity at the three pack ages, which were now deposited upon the ground; but although I had no doubt as to their contents, still their thick coverings prevented my actually detecting the form of a human body. The next morning, shortly after sunrise, the same thundering sounds which had awakened me from sleep on the second day of the Feast of Calabashes assured me that the savages were on the eve of celebrating an other, and, as I fully believed, a horrible solemnity. All the inmates of the house, with the exception of Marheyo, his son, and Tinor, after assuming their gala dresses, departed in the direction of the Taboo Groves. Although I did not anticipate a compliance with my request, still, with a view of testing the truth of my suspicions, I proposed to Kory-Kory that, according to our usual custom in the morning, we should take a stroll to the Ti. He positively refused; and when I renewed the request, he evinced his determination to prevent my going there; and, to divert my mind from the subject, he offered to accompany me to the stream. We accord ingly went and bathed. On our coming back to the house, I was surprised to find that all its inmates had returned, and were lounging upon the mats as usual, although the drums still sounded from the groves. The rest of the day I spent with Kory-Kory and Fayaway, wandering -about a part of the valley situated in an opposite direction from the Ti; and whenever I so much as looked towards that building, although it A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 313 was hidden from view by intervening trees, and at the distance of more than a mile, my attendant would ex claim, "Taboo, taboo!" At the various houses where we stopped, I found many of the inhabitants reclining at their ease, or pur suing some light occupation, as if nothing unusual were going forward; but amongst them all I did not perceive a single chief or warrior. When I asked several of the people why they were not at the "hoolah hoolah" (the feast), they uniformly answered the question in a man ner which implied that it was not intended for them, but for Mehevi, Narmonee, Mow-Mow, Kolor, Womo- noo, Kalow running over, in their desire to make me comprehend their meaning, the names of all the princi pal chiefs. Everything, in short, strengthened my suspicions with regard to the nature of the festival they were now cele brating, and which amounted almost to a certainty. While in Nukuheva I had frequently been informed that the whole tribe were never present at these cannibal banquets, but the chiefs and priests only, and everything I now observed agreed with the account. The sound of the drums continued, without inter mission, the whole day, and falling continually upon my ear, caused me a sensation of horror which I am unable to describe. On the following day, hearing none of those noisy indications of revelry, I concluded that the inhuman feast was terminated; and feeling a kind of morbid curiosity to discover whether the Ti might furnish any evidence of what had taken place there, I proposed to Kory-Kory to walk there. To this proposi tion he replied by pointing with his finger to the newly risen sun, and then up to the zenith, intimating that our visit must be deferred until noon. Shortly after 3 i 4 TYPEE that hour we accordingly proceeded to the Taboo Groves, and as soon as we entered their precincts, I looked fear fully round in quest of some memorial of the scenes which had so lately been acted there; but everything appeared as usual. On reaching the Ti we found Mehevi and a few chiefs reclining on the mats, who gave me as friendly a reception as ever. No allusions of any kind were made by them to the recent events; and I refrained> for obvious reasons, from referring to them myself. After staying a short time I took my leave. In pass ing along the piazza, previously to descending from the pi-pi, I observed a curiously carved vessel of wood, of considerable size, with a cover placed over it, of the same material, and which resembled in shape a small canoe. It was surrounded by a low railing of bamboos, the top of which was scarcely a foot from the ground. As the vessel had been placed in its present position since my last visit, I at once concluded that it must have some connection with the recent festival; and, prompted by a curiosity I could not repress, in passing it I raised one end of the cover; at the same moment the chiefs, perceiving my design, loudly ejaculated, "Taboo! taboo!" But the slight glimpse sufficed; my eyes fell upon the disordered members of a human skele ton, the bones still fresh with moisture, and with parti cles of flesh clinging to them here and there! Kory-Kory, who had been a little in advance of me, attracted by the exclamations of the chiefs, turned round in time to witness the expression of horror on my coun tenance. He now hurried towards me, pointing at the same time to the canoe, and exclaiming rapidly, "Puarkee! puarkee!" (Pig, pig). I pretended to yield to the deception, and repeated the words after him sev eral times, as though acquiescing in what he said. The A FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY 315 other savages, either deceived by my conduct or unwill ing to manifest their displeasure at what could not now be remedied, took no further notice of the occurence, and I immediately left the Ti. All that night I lay awake, revolving in my mind the fearful situation in which I was placed. The last hor rid revelation had now been made, and the full sense of my condition rushed upon my mind with a force I had never before experienced. Where, thought I, desponding, is there the slightest prospect of escape? The only person who seemed to possess the ability to assist me was the stranger Marnoo ; but would he ever return to the valley? and if he did, should I be permitted to hold any communication with him? It seemed as if I were cut off from every source of hope, and that nothing remained but passively to await whatever fate was in store for me. A thousand times I endeavoured to account for the mysterious con duct of the natives. For what conceivable purpose did they thus retain me a captive? What could be their object in treating me with such apparent kindness, and did it not cover some treacherous scheme? Or, if they had no other design than to hold me a prisoner, how should I be able to pass away my days in this narrow valley, deprived of all intercourse with civilised beings, and forever separated from friends and home? Only one hope remained to me. The French could not long defer a visit to the bay; and if they should per manently locate any of their troops in the valley, the savages could not for any length of time conceal my existence from them. But what reason had I to suppose that I should be spared until such an event occurred an event which might be postponed by a hundred differ ent contingencies? CHAPTER XXXII MARNOO RETURNS "MARNOO, Marnoo pemi!" Such were the welcome sounds which fell upon my ear some ten days after the events related in the preceding chapter. Once more the approach of the stranger was heralded, and the in telligence operated upon me like magic. Again I should be able to converse with him in my own language; and I resolved at all hazards to concert with him some scheme, however desperate, to rescue me from a condition that had now become insupportable. As he drew near, I remembered with many misgivings the inauspicious termination of our former interview; and when he entered the house, I watched with intense anxiety the reception he met with from its inmates. To my joy, his appearance was hailed with the liveliest pleasure; and accosting me kindly, he seated himself by my side and entered into conversation with the na tives around him. It soon appeared, however, that on this occasion he had not any intelligence of impor tance to communicate. I inquired of him from whence he had last come? He replied from Pueearka, his native valley, and that he intended to return to it the same day. At once it struck me that, could I but reach that valley under his protection, I might easily from thence reach Nukuheva by water; and animated by the pros pect which this plan held out, I disclosed it in a few 316 MARNOO RETURNS 317 brief words to the stranger, and asked him how it could be best accomplished. My heart sank within me when in his broken English he answered me that it could never be effected. "Kanaka no let you go no where," he said; "you taboo. Why you no like to stay? Plenty moee-moee (sleep) plenty ki-ki (eat) Oh, very good place Typee! Suppose you no like this bay, why you come? You no hear about Typee? All white men afraid Typee, so no white men come." These words distressed me beyond belief; and when I again related to him the circumstances under which I had descended into the valley, and sought to enlist his sympathies in my behalf by appealing to the bodily misery I endured, he listened to me with impatience, and cut me short by exclaiming passionately, "Me no hear you talk any more; by by Kanaka get mad, kill you and me too. No you see he no want you to speak to me at all? you see ah! by by you no mind you get well, he kill you, eat you, hang you head up there, like Happar Kanaka. Now you listen but no talk any more. By by I go ; you see way I go. Ah! then some night Kanaka all moee-moee (sleep) you run away, you come Pueearka. I speak Pueearka Kanaka he no harm you ah! then I take you my canoe Nukuheva and you no run away ship no more." With these words, enforced by a vehemence of gesture I cannot describe, Marnoo started from my side, and immediately engaged in conversation with some of the chiefs who had entered the house. It would have been idle for me to have attempted resuming the interview so peremptorily terminated by Marnoo, who was evidently little disposed to compro mise his own safety by any rash endeavours to ensure mine. But the plan he had suggested struck me as 3i8 TYPEE one which might possibly be accomplished, and I re solved to act upon it as speedily as possible. Accordingly, when he rose to depart, I accompanied him with the natives outside of the house, with a view of carefully noting the path he would take in leaving the valley. Just before leaping from the pi-pi he clasped my hand, and looking significantly at me, exclaimed, "Now you see you do what I tell you ah! then you do good; you no do so ah! then you die." The next moment he waved his spear in adieu to the islanders, and following the route that conducted to a defile in the mountains lying opposite the Happar side, was soon out of sight. A mode of escape was now presented to me, but how was I to avail myself of it? I was continually surrounded by the savages; I could not stir from one house to another without being attended by some of them; and even during the hours devoted to slumber the slightest movement which I made seemed to attract the notice of those who shared the mats with me. In spite of these obstacles, however, I determined forth with to make the attempt. To do so with any pros pect of success, it was necessary that I should have at least two hours start before the islanders should dis cover my absence; for with such facility was any alarm spread through the valley, and so familiar, of course, were the inhabitants with the intricacies of the groves that I could not hope, lame and feeble as I was, and ignorant of the route, to secure my escape unless I had this advantage. It was also by night alone that I could hope to accomplish my object, and then only by adopt ing the utmost precaution. The entrance to Marheyo s habitation was through a low narrow opening in its wicker-work front. This MARNOO RETURNS 319 passage, for no conceivable reason that I could devise, was always closed after the household had retired to rest, by drawing a heavy slide across it, composed of a dozen or more bits of wood ingeniously fastened to gether by seizings of sinnate. When any of the in mates chose to go outside, the noise occasioned by the removing of this rude door awakened everybody else; and on more than one occasion I had remarked that the islanders were nearly as irritable as more civilised beings under similar circumstances. The difficulty thus placed in my way I determined to obviate in the following manner. I would get up boldly in the course of the night, and drawing the slide, issue from the house, and pretend that my object was merely to procure a drink from the calabash which always stood without the dwelling on the corner of the pi-pi. On re-entering I would purposely omit closing the passage after me, and, trusting that the indolence of the savages would prevent them from repairing my neglect, would return to my mat, and waiting patiently until all were again asleep, I would then steal forth, and at once take the route to Pueearka. The very night which followed Marnoo s departure, I proceeded to put this project into execution. About midnight, as I imagined, I rose and drew the slide. The natives, just as I had expected, started up, while some of them asked, "Arware poo awa, Tommo?" (where are you going, Tommo?) "Wai" (water) I laconically an swered, grasping the calabash. On hearing my reply they sank back again, and in a minute or two I returned to my mat, anxiously awaiting the result of the experi ment. One after another the savages, turning restlessly, ap peared to resume their slumbers, and rejoicing at the TYPEE stillness which prevailed, I was about to rise again from my couch, when I heard a slight rustling a dark form was intercepted between me and the doorway the slide was drawn across it, and the individual, whoever he was, returned to his mat. This was a sad blow to me; but as it might have roused the suspicions of the islanders to have made another attempt that night, I was reluctantly obliged to defer it until the next. Sev eral times after I repeated the same manoeuvre, but with as little success as before. As my pretence for with drawing from the house was to allay my thirst, Kory- Kory, either suspecting some design on my part, or else prompted by a desire to please me, regularly every even ing placed a calabash of water by my side. Even under these inauspicious circumstances I again and again renewed the attempt; but when I did so my valet always rose with me, as if determined I should not remove myself from his observation. For the pres ent, therefore, I was obliged to abandon the attempt; but I endeavoured to console myself with the idea that by this mode I might yet effect my escape. Shortly after Marnoo s visit I was reduced to such a state that it was with extreme difficulty I could walk, even with the assistance of a spear, and Kory-Kory, as formerly, was obliged to carry me daily to the stream. For hours and hours during the warmest part of the day I lay upon my mat, and while those around me were nearly all dozing away in careless ease, I remained awake, gloomily pondering over the fate which it ap peared now idle for me to resist. When I thought of the loved friends who were thousands and thousands of miles from the savage island in which I was held a cap tive, when I reflected that my dreadful fate would for ever be concealed from them, and that with hope de- MARNOO RETURNS 321 ferred they might continue to await my return long after my inanimate form had blended with the dust of the valley I could not repress a shudder of anguish. How vividly is impressed upon my mind every minute feature of the scene which met my view during those long days of suffering and sorrow! At my request my mats were always spread directly facing the door, oppo site which, and at a little distance, was the hut of boughs that Marheyo was building. Whenever Kory-Kory, laying himself down beside me, would leave me a while to uninterrupted repose, I took a strange interest in the slightest movements of the eccen tric old warrior. All alone during the stillness of the tropical mid-day he would pursue his quiet work, sitting in the shade and weaving together the leaflets of his cocoa-nut branches, or rolling upon his knee the twisted fibres of bark to form the cords with which he tied to gether the thatching of his tiny house. Frequently sus pending his employment, and noticing my melancholy eye fixed upon him, he would raise his hand with a gesture ex pressive of deep commiseration, and then moving towards me slowly would enter on tip-toes, fearful of disturbing the slumbering natives, and, taking the fan from my hand, would sit before me, swaying it gently to and fro, and gazing earnestly into my face. Just beyond the pi-pi, and disposed in a triangle be fore the entrance of the house, were three magnificent bread-fruit trees. At this moment I can recall to my mind their slender shafts, and the graceful inequalities of their bark, on which my eye was accustomed to dwell day after day in the midst of my solitary musings. It is strange how inanimate objects will twine themselves into our affections, especially in the hour of affliction. Even now, amidst all the bustle and stir of the proud 322 TYPEE and busy city in which I am dwelling, the image of those three trees seems to come as vividly before my eyes as if they were actually present, and I still feel the soothing quiet pleasure which I then had in watching hour after hour their topmost boughs waving gracefully in the breeze. CHAPTER XXXIV THE ESCAPE NEARLY three weeks had elapsed since the second visit of Marnoo, and it must have been more than four months since I entered the valley, when one day about noon, and whilst everything was in profound silence, Mow- Mow, the one-eyed chief, suddenly appeared at the door, and leaning forward towards me as I lay directly facing him, said in a low tone, "Toby pemi ena" (Toby has arrived here). Gracious heaven! What a tumult of emotions rushed upon me at this startling intelli gence! Insensible to the pain that had before distracted me, I leaped to my feet and called wildly to Kory-Kory, who was reposing by my side. The startled islanders sprang from their mats; the news was quickly communi cated to them; and the next moment I was making my way to the Ti on the back of Kory-Kory, and surrounded by the excited savages. All that I could comprehend of the particulars which Mow-Mow rehearsed to his auditors as we proceeded was that my long-lost companion had arrived in a boat which had just entered the bay. These tidings made me most anxious to be carried at once to the sea, lest some untoward circumstance should prevent our meet ing; but to this they would not consent, and continued their course towards the royal abode. As we approached it, Mehevi and several chiefs showed themselves from the piazza and called upon us loudly to come to them. 323 3 2 4 TYPEE As soon as we had approached, I endeavoured to make them understand that I was going down to the sea to meet Toby. To this the king objected, and motioned Kory-Kory to bring me into the house. It was in vain to resist, and in a few moments I found myself within the Ti, surrounded by a noisy group engaged in discussing the recent intelligence. Toby s name was frequently re peated, coupled with violent exclamations of astonish ment. It seemed as if they yet remained in doubt with regard to the fact of his arrival, and at every fresh report that was brought from the shore they betrayed the live liest emotions. Almost frenzied at being held in this state of sus pense, I passionately besought Mehevi to permit me to proceed. Whether my companion had arrived or not, I felt a presentiment that my fate was about to be decided. Again and again I renewed my petition to Mehevi. He regarded me with a fixed and serious eye, but at length yielding to my importunity, reluctantly granted my request. Accompanied by some fifty of the natives, I now rapidly continued my journey, every few moments being transferred from the back of one to another, and urging my bearer forward all the while with earnest entreaties. As I thus hurried forward, no doubt as to the truth of the information I had received ever crossed my mind. I was alive only to the one overwhelming idea that a chance of deliverance was now afforded me if the jealous opposition of the savages could be overcome. Having been prohibited from approaching the sea during the whole of my stay in the valley, I had always associated with it the idea of escape. Toby too if indeed he had ever voluntarily deserted me must have effected his flight by the sea; and now that I was draw- THE ESCAPE 325 ing near to it myself, I indulged in hopes which I had never felt before. It was evident that a boat had en tered the bay, and I saw little reason to doubt the truth of the report that it had brought my companion. Every time therefore that we gained an elevation, I looked eagerly around, hoping to behold him. In the midst of an excited throng, who by their violent gestures and wild cries appeared to be under the influ ence of some excitement as strong as my own, I was now borne along at a rapid trot, frequently stooping my head to avoid the branches which crossed the path, and never ceasing to implore those who carried me to accelerate their already swift pace. In this manner we had proceeded about four or five miles, when we were met by a party of some twenty islanders, between whom and those who accompanied me ensued an animated conference. Impatient of the delay occasioned by this interruption, I was beseeching the man who carried me to proceed without his loiter ing companions, when Kory-Kory, running to my side, informed me, in three fatal words, that the news had all proved false that Toby had not arrived "Toby owle pemi." Heaven only knows how, in the state of mind and body I then was, I ever sustained the agony which this intelligence caused me; not that the news was altogether unexpected, but I had trusted that the fact might not have been made known until we should have arrived upon the beach. As it was, I at once fore saw the course the savages would pursue. They had only yielded thus far to my entreaties that I might give a joyful welcome to my long-absent comrade; but now that it was known he had not arrived, they would at once oblige me to turn back. My anticipations were but too correct. In spite of 326 TYPEE the resistance I made, they carried me into a house which was near the spot, and left me upon the mats. Shortly afterwards several of those who had accompanied me from the Ti, detaching themselves from the others, proceeded in the direction of the sea. Those who re mained among whom were Marheyo, Mow-Mow, Kory-Kory, and Tinor gathered about the dwelling and appeared to be awaiting their return. This convinced me that strangers perhaps some of my own countrymen had for some cause or other en tered the bay. Distracted at the idea of their vicinity, and reckless of the pain which I suffered, I heeded not the assurances of the islanders that there were no boats at the beach, but starting to my feet endeavoured to gain the door. Instantly the passage was blocked up by several men, who commanded me to resume my seat. The fierce looks of the irritated savages admonished me that I could gain nothing by force, and that it was by entreaty alone that I could hope to compass my object. Guided by this consideration, I turned to Mow-Mow, the only chief present whom I had been much in the habit of seeing, and carefully concealing my real de sign, tried to make him comprehend that I still believed Toby to have arrived on the shore, and besought him to allow me to go forward to welcome him. To all his re peated assertions that my companion had not been seen, I pretended to turn a deaf ear, while I urged my solicitations with an eloquence of gesture which the one- eyed chief appeared unable to resist. He seemed indeed to regard me as a froward child, to whose wishes he had not the heart to oppose force, and whom he must conse quently humour. He spoke a few words to the natives, who at once retreated from the door and immediately passed out of the house. THE ESCAPE 327 Here I looked earnestly round for Kory-Kory; but that hitherto faithful servitor was nowhere to be seen. Unwilling to linger even for a single instant when every moment might be so important, I motioned to a muscular fellow near me to take me upon his back; to my sur prise he angrily refused. I turned to another, but with a like result. A third attempt was as unsuccessful, and I immediately perceived what had induced Mow-Mow to grant my request and why the other natives conducted themselves in so strange a manner. It was evident that the chief had only given me liberty to continue my progress towards the sea because he supposed that I was deprived of the means of reaching it. Convinced by this of their determination to retain me a captive, I became desperate; and almost insensible to the pain which I suffered, I seized a spear which was leaning against the projecting eaves of the house, and supporting myself with it, resumed the path that swept by the dwelling. To my surprise I was suffered to pro ceed alone, all the natives remaining in front of the house, and engaging in earnest conversation, which every mo ment became more loud and vehement; and to my un speakable delight I perceived that some difference of opinion had arisen between them; that two parties, in short, were formed, and consequently that in their di vided counsels there was some chance of my deliverance. Before I had proceeded a hundred yards I was again surrounded by the savages, who were still in all the heat of argument, and appeared every moment as if they would come to blows. In the midst of this tu mult old Marheyo came to my side, and I shall never forget the benevolent expression of his countenance. He placed his arm upon my shoulder, and emphatically pronounced the only two English words I had taught 328 TYPEE him "Home" and "Mother." I at once understood what he meant, and eagerly expressed my thanks to him. Fayaway and Kory-Kory were by his side, both weeping violently; and it was not until the old man had twice repeated the command that his son could bring himself to obey him and take me again upon his back. The one-eyed chief opposed his doing so, but he was over-ruled, and, as it seemed to me, by some of his own party. We proceeded onwards, and never shall I forget the ecstasy I felt when I first heard the roar of the surf breaking upon the beach. Before long I saw the flash ing billows themselves through the opening between the trees. Oh glorious sight and sound of ocean! with what rapture did I hail you as familiar friends! By this time the shouts of the crowd upon the beach were distinctly audible, and in the blended confusion of sounds I almost fancied I could distinguish the voices of my own coun trymen. When we reached the open space which lay between the groves and the sea, the first object that met my view was an English whale-boat, lying with her bow pointed from the shore, and only a few fathoms distant from it. It was manned by five islanders, dressed in short tunics of calico. My first impression was that they were in the very act of pulling out from the bay, and that, after all my exertions, I had come too late. My soul sunk within me; but a second glance convinced me that the boat was only hanging off to keep out of the surf; and the next moment I heard my own name shouted out by a voice from the midst of the crowd. Looking in the direction of the sound, I perceived, to my indescribable joy, the tall figure of Karakoee, an Oahu Kanaka, who had often been aboard the Dolly THE ESCAPE 329 while she lay in Nukuheva. He wore the green shooting- jacket with gilt buttons which had been given to him by an officer of the Reine Blanche the French flag ship and in which I had always seen him dressed. I now remembered the Kanaka had frequently told me that his person was tabooed in all the valleys of the island, and the sight of him at such a moment as this filled my heart with a tumult of delight. Karakoee stood near the edge of the water with a large roll of cotton cloth thrown over one arm, and hold ing two or three canvas bags of powder, while with the other hand he grasped a musket, which he appeared to be proffering to several of the chiefs around him. But they turned with disgust from his offers and seemed to be impatient at his presence, with vehement gestures waving him off to his boat and commanding him to depart. The Kanaka, however, still maintained his ground, and I at once perceived that he was seeking to purchase my freedom. Animated by the idea, I called upon him loudly to come to me; but he replied, in broken Eng lish, that the islanders had threatened to pierce him with their spears if he stirred a foot towards me. At this time I was still advancing, surrounded by a dense throng of the natives, several of whom had their hands upon me, and more than one javelin was threateningly pointed at me. Still I perceived clearly that many of those least friendly towards me looked irresolute and anxious. I was still some thirty yards from Karakoee when my further progress was prevented by the natives, who com pelled me to sit down upon the ground, while they still retained their hold upon my arms. The din and tumult now became tenfold, and I perceived that sev- 330 TYPEE eral of the priests were on the spot, all of whom were evidently urging Mow-Mow and the other chiefs to prevent my departure; and the detestable word "Roo-ne! Roo-ne!" which I had heard repeated a thousand times during the day, was now shouted out on every side of me. Still I saw that the Kanaka continued his exertions in my favor that he was boldly debating the matter with the savages, and was striving to entice them by dis playing his cloth and powder and snapping the lock of his musket. But all he said or did appeared only to aug ment the clamours of those around him, who seemed bent upon driving him into the sea. When I remembered the extravagant value placed by these people upon the articles which were offered to them in exchange for me, and which were so indignantly rejected, I saw a new proof of the same fixed determina tion of purpose they had all along manifested with re gard to me, and in despair, and reckless of consequences, I exerted all my strength, and shaking myself free from the grasp of those who held me, I sprung upon my feet and rushed toward Karakoee. The rash attempt nearly decided my fate; for, fear ful that I might slip from them, several of the islanders now raised a simultaneous shout, and pressing upon Karakoee, they menaced him with furious gestures, and actually forced him into the sea. Appalled at their violence, the poor fellow, standing nearly to the waist in the surf, endeavoured to pacify them; but at length, fearful that they would do him some fatal violence, he beckoned to his comrades to pull in at once and take him into the boat. It was at this agonizing moment, when I thought all hope was ended, that a new contest arose between the two parties who had accompanied me to the shore ; blows THE ESCAPE 331 were struck, wounds were given, and blood flowed. In the interest excited by the fray, every one had left me except Marheyo, Kory-Kory, and poor dear Fayaway, who clung to me, sobbing indignantly. I saw that now or never was the moment. Clasping my hands together, I looked imploringly at Marheyo, and moved towards the now almost deserted beach. The tears were in the old man s eyes, but neither he nor Kory-Kory attempted to hold me, and I soon reached the Kanaka, who had been anxiously watching my movements; the rowers pulled in as near as they dared to the edge of the surf; I gave one parting embrace to Fayaway, who seemed speechless with sorrow, and the next instant I found myself safe in the boat, and Karakoee by my side, who told the rowers at once to give way. Marheyo and Kory-Kory, and a great many of the women, followed me into the water, and I was determined, as the only mark of gratitude I could show, to give them the articles which had been brought as my ransom. I handed the musket to Kory-Kory, with a rapid gesture which was equivalent to a "Deed of Gift;" threw the roll of cotton to old Marheyo, pointing as I did so to poor Fayaway, who had retired from the edge of the water and was sitting down disconsolate on the shingles; and tum bled the powder bags out to the nearest young ladies, all of whom were vastly willing to take them. This distribution did not occupy ten seconds, and before it was over the boat was under full way, the Kanaka all the while exclaiming loudly against what he considered a useless throwing away of valuable property. Although it was clear that my movements had been no ticed by several of the natives, still they had not sus pended the conflict in which they were engaged, and it was not until the boat was above fifty yards from the 33 2 TYPEE shore that Mow-Mow and some six or seven other war riors rushed into the sea and hurled their javelins at us. Some of the weapons passed quite as close to us as was desirable, but no one was wounded, and the men pulled away gallantly. But although soon out of the reach of the spears, our progress was extremely slow; it blew strong upon the shore, and the tide was against us; and I saw Karakoee, who was steering the boat, give many a look towards a jutting point of the bay round which we had to pass. For a minute or two after our departure the savages, who had formed into different groups, remained perfectly motionless and silent. All at once the enraged chief showed by his gestures that he had resolved what course he would take. Shouting loudly to his companions and pointing with his tomahawk towards the headland, he set off at full speed in that direction, and was followed by about thirty of the natives, among whom were several of the priests, all yelling out "Roo-ne! Roo-ne!" at the very top of their voices. Their intention was evidently to swim off from the headland and interrupt us in our course. The wind was freshening every minute, and was right in our teeth, and it was one of those chopping angry seas in which it is so difficult to row. Still the chances seemed in our favour; but when we came within a hundred yards of the point, the active savages were already dashing into the water, and we all feared that within five minutes time we should have a score of the infuriated wretches around us. If so, our doom was sealed, for these savages, unlike the feeble swimmers of civilised countries, are, if anything, more formidable an tagonists in the water than when on the land. It was all a trial of strength; our natives pulled till their oars bent again, and the crowd of swimmers shot through the water, despite its roughness, with fearful rapidity. THE ESCAPE 333 By the time we had reached the headland, the savages were spread right across our course. Our rowers got out their knives and held them ready between their teeth, and I seized the boat-hook. We were well aware that if they succeeded in intercepting us they would practise upon us the manoeuvre which has proved so fatal to many a boat s crew in these seas. They would grapple the oars, and seizing hold of the gunwale, cap size the boat, and then we should be entirely at their mercy. After a few breathless moments I discerned Mow- Mow. The athletic islander, with his tomahawk between his teeth, was dashing the water before him till it foamed again. He was the nearest to us, and in another instant he would have seized one of the oars. Even at the mo ment I felt horror at the act I was about to commit; but it was no time for pity or compunction, and with a true aim, and exerting all my strength, I dashed the boat- hook at him. It struck him just below the throat, and forced him downwards. I had no time to repeat my blow, but I saw him rise to the surface in the wake of the boat, and never shall I forget the ferocious expres sion of his countenance. Only one other of the savages reached the boat. He seized the gunwale, but the knives of our rowers so mauled his wrists that he was forced to quit his hold, and the next minute we were past them all, and in safety. The strong excitement which had thus far kept me up now left me, and I fell back fainting into the arms of Karakoee. The circumstances connected with my most unexpected escape may be very briefly stated. The captain of an Australian vessel, being in distress for men in these re- 334 TYPEE mote seas, had put into Nukuheva in order to recruit his ship s company; but not a single man was to be ob tained, and the barque was about to get under weigh, when she was boarded by Karakoee, who informed the disappointed Englishman that an American sailor was detained by the savages in the neighbouring bay of Ty- pee; and he offered, if supplied with suitable articles of traffic, to undertake his release. The Kanaka had gained his intelligence from Marnoo, to whom, after all, I was indebted for my escape. The proposition was acceded to; and Karakoee, taking with him five tabooed natives of Nukuheva, again repaired aboard the barque, which in a few hours sailed to that part of the island and threw her main-top-sail aback right off the entrance to the Typee bay. The whale-boat, manned by the tabooed crew, pulled towards the head of the inlet, while the ship lay "off and on" awaiting its return. The events which ensued have already been detailed, and little more remains to be related. On reaching the Julia I was lifted over the side, and my strange ap pearance and remarkable adventure occasioned the live liest interest. Every attention was bestowed upon me that humanity could suggest. But to such a state was I reduced that three months elapsed before I recovered my health. The mystery which hung over the fate of my friend and companion Toby has never been cleared up. I still remain ignorant whether he succeeded in leaving the valley or perished at the hands of the islanders. NOTE The author was more than two years in the South Seas, after escaping from the valley as recounted in the last chapter. Some time after returning home the foregoing narrative was published, though it was little thought at the time that this would be the means of revealing the existence of Toby, who had long been given up for lost. But so it proved. The story of his escape supplies a natural sequel to the adven ture, and as such it is now added to the volume. It was related to the author by Toby himself, not ten days since. [Melville s note]. NEW YORK, July, 1846. THE STORY OF TOBY THE morning my comrade left me, as related in the narrative, he was accompanied by a large party of the natives, some of them carrying fruit and hogs for the purposes of traffic, as the report had spread that boats had touched at the bay. As they proceeded through the settled parts of the valley, numbers joined them from every side, running with animated cries from every pathway. So excited were the whole party that, eager as Toby was to gain the beach, it was almost as much as he could do to keep up with them. Making the valley ring with their shouts, they hurried along on a swift trot, those in ad vance pausing now and then and flourishing their weap ons to urge the rest forward. Presently they came to a place where the path crossed a band of the main stream of the valley. Here a strange sound came through the grove beyond, and the islanders halted. It was Mow -Mow, the one-eyed chief, who had gone on before; he was striking his heavy lance against the hollow bough of a tree. This was a signal of alarm; for nothing was now heard but shouts of "Happar! Happar!" the war riors tilting with their spears and brandishing them in the air, and the women and boys shouting to each other, and picking up the stones in the bed of the stream. In a moment or two Mow-Mow and two or three other chiefs ran out from the grove, and the din increased ten-fold. THE STORY OF TOBY 337 Now, thought Toby, for a fray; and being unarmed, he besought one of the young men domiciled with Mar- heyo for the loan of his spear. But he refused, the youth roguishly telling him that the weapon was very good for him (the Typee), but that a white man could fight much better with his fists. The merry humour of this young wag seemed to be shared by the rest, for in spite of their warlike cries and gestures, everybody was capering about and laughing, as if it was one of the funniest things in the world to be awaiting the flight of a score or two of Happar javelins from an ambush in the thickets. While my comrade was in vain trying to make out the meaning of all this, a good number of the natives separated themselves from the rest and ran off into the grove on one side, the others now keeping perfectly still, as if awaiting the result. After a little while, however, Mow-Mow, who stood in advance, motioned them to come on stealthily, which they did, scarcely rustling a leaf. Thus they crept along for ten or fifteen minutes, every now and then pausing to listen. Toby by no means relished this sort of skulking; if there was going to be a fight he wanted it to begin at once. But all in good time, for just then, as they went prowling into the thickest of the wood, terrific howls burst upon them on all sides, and volleys of darts and stones flew across the path. Not an enemy was to be seen, and, what was still more surprising, not a single man dropped, though the pebbles fell among the leaves like hail. There was a moment s pause, when the Typees, with wild shrieks, flung themselves into the covert, spear in hand; nor was Toby behindhand. Coming so near get ting his skull broken by the stones, and animated by an 338 TYPEE old grudge he bore the Happars, he was among the first to dash at them. As he broke his way through the underbrush, trying, as he did so, to wrest a spear from a young chief, the shouts of battle all of a sudden ceased, and the wood was as still as death. The next moment, the party who had left them so mysteriously rushed out from behind every bush and tree and united with the rest in long and merry peals of laughter. It was all a sham, and Toby, who was quite out of breath with excitement, was much incensed at being made a fool of. It afterwards turned out that the whole affair had been concerted for his particular benefit, though with what precise view it would be hard to tell. My com rade was the more enraged at this boy s play since it had consumed so much time, every moment of which might be precious. Perhaps, however, it was partly intended for this very purpose; and he was led to think so, because, when the natives started again, he observed that they did not seem to be in so great a hurry as before. At last, after they had gone some distance, Toby thinking all the while that they never would get to the sea, two men came running towards them, and a regular halt ensued, followed by a noisy discussion, during which Toby s name was often repeated. All this made him more and more anxious to learn what was going on at the beach; but it was in vain that he now tried to push forward; the natives held him back. In a few moments the conference ended, and many of them ran down the path in the direction of the water, the rest surrounding Toby and entreating him to "Moee," or sit down and rest himself. As an additional induce ment, several calabashes of food, which had been brought along, were now placed on the ground and opened, and THE STORY OF TOBY 339 pipes also were lighted. Toby bridled his impatience a while, but at last sprang to his feet and dashed forward again. He was soon overtaken nevertheless, and again surrounded, but without further detention was then per mitted to go down to the sea. They came out upon a bright green space between the groves and the water and close under the shadow of the Happar mountain, where a path was seen winding out of sight through a gorge. No sign of a boat, however, was beheld; nothing but a tumultuous crowd of men and women, and some one in their midst earnestly talking to them. As my com rade advanced, this person came forward and proved to be no stranger. He was an old grizzled sailor whom Toby and myself had frequently seen in Nukuheva, where he lived an easy devil-may-care life in the house hold of Mowanna the king, going by the name of "Jimmy." In fact, he was the royal favourite and had a good deal to say in his master s councils. He wore a Manilla hat and a sort of tappa morning gown, suffi ciently loose and negligent to show the verse of a song tattooed upon his chest and a variety of spirited cuts by native artists in other parts of his body. He sported a fishing-rod in his hand, and carried a sooty old pipe slung about his neck. This old rover, having retired from active life, had resided in Nukuheva for some time, could speak the language, and for that reason was frequently employed by the French as an interpreter. He was an arrant old gossip too, forever coming off in his canoe to the ships in the bay and regaling their crews with choice little morsels of court scandal. I remember in particular his telling the Dolly s crew what proved to be literally a cock-and-bull story about two natural prodigies which 340 TYPEE he said were then on the island. One was an old monster of a hermit, having a marvellous reputation for sanctity, and reputed a famous sorcerer, who lived away off in a den among the mountains, where he hid from the world a great pair of horns that grew out of his temples. Not withstanding his reputation for piety, this horrid old fel low was the terror of all the island round, being reported to come out from his retreat and go a man-hunting every dark night. Some anonymous Paul Pry, too, coming down the mountain, once got a peep at his den and found it full of bones. In short, he was a most unheard-of monster. The other prodigy Jimmy told us about was the younger son of a chief, who, although but just turned of ten, had entered upon holy orders, because his super stitious countrymen thought him especially intended for the priesthood from the fact of his having a comb on his head like a rooster. But this was not all; for still more wonderful to relate, the boy prided himself upon this strange crest, being actually endowed with a cock s voice and frequently crowing over his peculiarity. But to return to Toby. The moment he saw the old rover on the beach he ran up to him, the natives fol lowing after and forming a circle round them. After welcoming him to the shore, Jimmy went on to tell him how that he knew all about our having run away from the ship and being among the Typees. In deed, he had been urged by Mowanna to come over to the valley, and after visiting his friends there, to bring us back with him, his royal master being exceedingly anxious to share with him the reward which had been held out for our capture. He, however, assured Toby that he had indignantly spurned the offer. All this astonished my comrade not a little, as neither THE STORY OF TOBY 341 of us had entertained the least idea that any white man ever visited the Typees sociably. But Jimmy told him that such was the case nevertheless, although he seldom came into the bay and scarcely ever went back from the beach. One of the priests of the valley, in some way or other connected with an old tattooed divine in Nukuheva, was a friend of his, and through him he was "taboo." He said, moreover, that he was sometimes employed to come round to the bay and engage fruit for ships lying in Nukuheva. In fact, he was now on that very errand, according to his own account, having just come across the mountains by the way of Happar. By noon of the next day the fruit would be heaped up in stacks on the beach, in readiness for the boats which he then intended to bring into the bay. Jimmy now asked Toby whether he wished to leave the island; if he did, there was a ship in want of men lying in the other harbour, and he would be glad to take him over and see him on board that very day. "No," said Toby, "I cannot leave the island unless my comrade goes with me. I left him up the valley because they would not let him come down. Let us go now and fetch him." "But how is he to cross the mountain with us," re plied Jimmy, "even if we get him down to the beach? Better let him stay till to-morrow, and I will bring him round to Nukuheva in the boats." "That will never do," said Toby; "but come along with me now, and let us get him down here at any rate;" and yielding to the impulse of the moment, he started to hurry back into the valley. But hardly was his back turned when a dozen hands were laid on him, and he learned that he could not go a step farther. 342 TYPEE It was in vain that he fought with them; they would not hear of his stirring from the beach. Cut to the heart at this unexpected repulse, Toby now conjured the sailor to go after me alone. But Jimmy replied that in the mood the Typees then were they would not permit him so to do, though at the same time he was not afraid of their offering him any harm. Little did Toby then think, as he afterwards had good reason to suspect, that this very Jimmy was a heartless villain, who by his arts had just incited the natives to restrain him as he was in the act of going after me. Well must the old sailor have known, too, that the natives would never consent to our leaving together, and he therefore wanted to get Toby off alone, for a purpose which he afterwards made plain. Of all this, however, my comrade now knew nothing. He was still struggling with the islanders when Jimmy again came up to him and warned him against irritating them, saying that he was only making matters worse for both of us, and if they became enraged, there was no telling what might happen. At last he made Toby sit down on a broken canoe by a pile of stones, upon which was a ruinous little shrine supported by four upright paddles and in front partly screened by a net. The fishing parties met there when they came in from the sea, for their offerings were laid before an image, upon a smooth black stone within. This spot Jimmy said was strictly "taboo," and no one would molest or come near him while he stayed by its shadow. The old sailor then went off and began speaking very earnestly to Mow-Mow and some other chiefs, while all the rest formed a circle round the taboo place, looking intently at Toby and talking to each other without ceasing. Now, notwithstanding what Jimmy had just told him, THE STORY OF TOBY 343 there presently came up to my comrade an old woman, who seated herself beside him on the canoe. "Typee motarkee?" said she. "Motarkee nuee," said Toby. She then asked him whether he was going to Nuku- heva; he nodded yes; and with a plaintive wail and her eyes filling with tears she rose and left him. This old woman, the sailor afterwards said, was the wife of an aged king of a small inland valley, communi cating by a deep pass with the country of the Typees. The inmates of the two valleys were related to each other by blood, and were known by the same name. The old woman had gone down into the Typee valley the day before, and was now with three chiefs, her sons, on a visit to her kinsmen. As the old king s wife left him, Jimmy again came up to Toby and told him that he had just talked the whole matter over with the natives, and there was only one course for him to follow. They would not allow him to go back into the valley, and harm would cer tainly come to both him and me if he remained much longer on the beach. "So," said he, "you and I had better go to Nukuheva now overland, and to-morrow I will bring Tommo, as they call him, by water; they have promised to carry him down to the sea for me early in the morning, so that there will be no delay." "No, no," said Toby desperately, "I will not leave him that way; we must escape together." "Then there is no hope for you," exclaimed the sailor; "for if I leave you here on the beach, as soon as I am gone you will be carried back into the valley, and then neither of you will ever look upon the sea again." And with many oaths he swore that if he would only go to Nukuheva with him that day, he would be sure to have me there the very next morning. 344 TYPEE "But how do you know they will bring him down to the beach to-morrow, when they will not do so to-day?" said Toby. But the sailor had many reasons, all of which were so mixed up with the mysterious customs of the islanders that he was none the wiser. Indeed, their conduct, especially in preventing him from return ing into the valley, was absolutely unaccountable to him; and added to everything else was the bitter re flection that the old sailor, after all, might possibly be deceiving him. And then again he had to think of me, left alone with the natives and by no means well. If he went with Jimmy, he might at least hope to procure some relief for me. But might not the savages who had acted so strangely hurry me off somewhere before his return? Then, even if he remained, perhaps they would not let him go back into the valley where I was. Thus perplexed was my poor comrade; he knew not what to do, and his courageous spirit was of no use to him now. There he was, all by himself, seated upon the broken canoe the natives grouped around him at a distance and eyeing him more and more fixedly. "It is getting late," said Jimmy, who was standing behind the rest. "Nukuheva is far off, and I cannot cross the Happar country by night. You see how it is: if you come along with me, all will be well; if you do not, depend upon it, neither of you will ever escape." "There is no help for it," said Toby at last, with a heavy heart; "I will have to trust you;" and he came out from the shadow of the little shrine and cast a long look up the valley. "Now keep close to my side," said the sailor, "and let us be moving quickly," Tinor and Fayaway here appeared, the kind-hearted old woman embracing Toby s knees and giving way to a flood of tears, while Fay- THE STORY OF TOBY 345 away, hardly less moved, spoke some few words of Eng lish she had learned and held up three fingers before him in so many days he would return. At last Jimmy pulled Toby out of the crowd, and after calling to a young Typee who was standing by with a young pig in his arms, all three started for the mountains. "I have told them that you are coming back again," said the old fellow, laughing, as they began the ascent, "but they ll have to wait a long time." Toby turned, and saw the natives all in motion the girls waving their tappas in adieu, and the men their spears. As the last figure entered the grove with one arm raised and the three fingers spread, his heart smote him. As the natives had at last consented to his going, it might have been that some of them, at least, really counted upon his speedy return, probably supposing, as indeed he had told them when they were coming down the valley, that his only object in leaving them was to procure the medicines I needed. This Jimmy also must have told them. And as they had done before, when my comrade, to oblige me, started on his perilous journey to Nukuheva, they looked upon me, in his absence, as one of two inseparable friends who was a sure guaranty for the other s return. This is only my own supposition, however, for as to all their strange conduct, it is still a mystery. "You see what sort of a taboo man I am," said the sailor, after for some time silently following the path which led up the mountain. "Mow-Mow made me a present of this pig here, and the man who carries it will go right through Happar and down into Nukuheva with us. So long as he stays by me he is safe, and just so it will be with you, and to-morrow with Tommo. Cheer 346 TYPEE up, then, and rely upon me; you will see him in the morning." The ascent of the mountain was not very difficult, owing to its being near to the sea where the island ridges are comparatively low; the path, too, was a fine one, so that in a short time all three were standing on the summit with the two valleys at their feet. The white cascades marking the green head of the Typee valley first caught Toby s eye; Marheyo s house could easily be traced by them. As Jimmy led the way along the ridge, Toby ob served that the valley of the Happars did not extend near so far inland as that of the Typees. This accounted for our mistake in entering the latter valley as we had. The path leading down from the mountain was soon seen, and, following it, the party were in a short time fairly in the happy valley. "Now," said Jimmy, as they hurried on, "we taboo men have wives in all the bays, and I am going to show you the two I have here." So, when they came to the house where he said they lived which was close by the base of the mountain in a shady nook among the grooves he went in, and was quite furious at finding it empty the ladies had gone out. However, they soon made their appearance and, to tell the truth, welcomed Jimmy quite cordially, as well as Toby, about whom they were very inquisitive. Nevertheless, as the report of their arrival spread and the Happars began to assemble, it became evident that the appearance of a white stranger among them was not by any means deemed so wonderful an event as in the neighbouring valley. The old sailor now bade his wives prepare something to eat, as he must be in Nukuheva before dark. A meal THE STORY OF TOBY 347 of fish, bread-fruit, and bananas was accordingly served up, the party regaling themselves on the mats, in the midst of a numerous company. The Happars put many questions to Jimmy about Toby; and Toby himself looked sharply at them, anxious to recognise the fellow who gave him the wound from which he was still suffering. But this fiery gentleman, so handy with his spear, had the delicacy, it seemed, to keep out of view. Certainly the sight of him would not have been any added inducement to making a stay in the valley, some of the afternoon loungers in Happar having politely urged Toby to spend a few days with them there was a feast coming on. He, however, declined. All this while the young Typee stuck to Jimmy like his shadow, and though as lively a dog as any of his tribe, he was now as meek as a lamb, never opening his mouth except to eat. Although some of the Happars looked queerly at him, others were more civil, and seemed desirous of taking him abroad and showing him the valley. But the Typee was not to be cajoled in that way. How many yards he would have to remove from Jimmy before the taboo would be powerless, it would be hard to tell, but probably he himself knew to a fraction. On the promise of a red cotton handkerchief, and something else which he kept secret, this poor fellow had undertaken a rather ticklish journey; as far as Toby could ascertain, it was something that had never hap pened before. The island-punch arva was brought in at the con clusion of the repast and passed round in a shallow calabash. Now my comrade, while seated in the Happar house, began to feel more troubled than ever at leaving me: indeed, so sad did he feel that he talked about going 348 TYPEE back to the valley, and wanted Jimmy to escort him as far as the mountains. But the sailor would not listen to him, and, by way of diverting his thoughts, pressed him to drink of the arva. Knowing its narcotic nature, he refused; but Jimmy said he would have something mixed with it which would convert it into an innocent beverage that would inspirit them for the rest of their journey. So at last he was induced to drink of it, and its effects were just as the sailor had predicted; his spirits rose at once, and all his gloomy thoughts left him. The old rover now began to reveal his true character, though he was hardly suspected at the time. "If I get you off to a ship," said he "you will surely give a poor fellow something for saving you." In short, before they left the house, he made Toby promise that he would give him five Spanish dollars if he succeeded in getting any part of his wages advanced from the vessel aboard of which they were going, Toby, moreover, engaging to reward him still further as soon as my deliverance was accomplished. A little while after this they started again, accom panied by many of the natives, and going up the valley, took a steep path near its head, which led to Nukuheva. Here the Happars paused, and watched them as they ascended the mountain, one group of bandit-looking fellows shaking their spears and casting threatening glances at the poor Typee, whose heart as well as heels seemed much the lighter when he came to look down upon them. On gaining the heights once more, their way led for a time along several ridges covered with enormous ferns. At last they entered upon a wooded tract, and here they overtook a party of Nukuheva natives, well armed, THE STORY OF TOBY 349 and carrying bundles of long poles. Jimmy seemed to know them all very well, and stopped for a while and had a talk about the "Wee-Wees," as the people of Nukuheva call the Monsieurs. The party with the poles were King Mowanna s men, and by his orders they had been gathering them in the ravines for his allies the French. Leaving these fellows to trudge on with their loads, Toby and his companions now pushed forward again, as the sun was already low in the west. They came upon the valleys of Nukuheva on one side of the bay, where the highlands slope off into the sea. The men- of-war were still lying in the harbour, and as Toby looked down upon them, the strange events which had happened so recently seemed all a dream. They soon descended towards the beach, and found themselves in Jimmy s house before it was well dark. Here he received another welcome from his Nukuheva wives, and after some refreshments in the shape of cocoa-nut milk and poee-poee, they entered a canoe (the Typee, of course, going along) and paddled off to a whale ship which was anchored near the shore. This was the vessel in want of men. Our own had sailed some time before. The captain professed great pleasure at seeing Toby, but thought, from his exhausted ap pearance, that he must be unfit for duty. However, he agreed to ship him, as well as his comrade, as soon as he should arrive. Toby begged hard for an armed boat in which to go round to Typee and rescue me, notwithstanding the promises of Jimmy. But this the captain would not hear of, and told him to have patience, for the sailor would be faithful to his word. When, too, he demanded the five silver dollars for Jimmy, the captain was un- 350 TYPEE willing to give them. But Toby insisted upon it, as he now began to think that Jimmy might be a mere mercenary who would be sure to prove faithless if not well paid. Accordingly he not only gave him the money, but took care to assure him, over and over again, that as soon as he brought me aboard he would receive a still larger sum. Before sun-rise the next day Jimmy and the Typee started in two of the ship s boats, which were manned by tabooed natives. Toby, of course, was all eagerness to go along, but the sailor told him that if he did, it would spoil all; so, hard as it was, he was obliged to remain. Towards evening he was on the watch, and descried the boats turning the headland and entering the bay. He strained his eyes, and thought he saw me; but I was not there. Descending from the mast almost dis tracted, he grappled Jimmy as he struck the deck, shouting in a voice that startled him, "Where is Tommo?" The old fellow faltered, but soon recovering, did all he could to soothe him, assuring him that it had proved to be impossible to get me down to the shore that morn ing, assigning many plausible reasons, and adding that early on the morrow he was going to visit the bay again in a French boat, when, if he did not find me on the beach as this time he certainly expected to he would march right back into the valley and carry me away at all hazards. He, however, again refused to allow Toby to accompany him. Now, situated as Toby was, his sole dependence for the present was upon this Jimmy, and therefore he was fain to comfort himself as well as he could with what the old sailor had told him. The next morning, however, he had the satisfaction THE STORY OF TOBY 351 of seeing the French boat start with Jimmy in it. To night, then, I will see him, thought Toby; but many a long day passed before he ever saw Tommo again. Hardly was the boat out of sight when the captain came forward and ordered the anchor to be weighed; he was going to sea. Vain were all Toby s ravings they were disregarded; and when he came to himself the sails were set, and the ship fast leaving the land. . . . "Oh!" said he to me at our meeting, "what sleepless nights were mine. Often I started from my hammock, dreaming you were before me and upbraiding me for leaving you on the island." There is little more to be related. Toby left this vessel at New Zealand, and after some further adventures arrived home in less than two years after leaving the Marquesas. He always thought of me as dead and I had every reason to suppose that he too was no more; but a strange meeting was in store for us, one which made Toby s heart all the lighter. THE END. GLOSSARY [Marquesan commpn and proper nouns are indicated by bold-face type.] aa, yes. abo, wait. aka, a root from which ointment is pressed (p. 149). albicore, a large fish, the long-finned tunny or Spanish mackerel. amar, baked breadfruit (see p. 158). This is spelled ama by Church. Melville is quite lavish with final r s, as in Happar, which Stevenson calls a "grotesque misspelling." Melville had a New England ear. Animated Nature, "A History of the Earth and Animated Nature," (published in 1774), by Oliver Goldsmith. apples of Sodom, described by the credulous traveler Herodotus; they were supposed to grow near the Dead Sea in Palestine (p. 68). armor, an oily nut burned as a taper (pp. 274 and 286). arva, "the name bestowed upon a root the properties of which are both inebriating and medicinal" [Melville s note] (pp. 222-3). Arva Wai ("strong water"), a mineral spring in the Typee valley (pp. 207 ff.). arware, where? attia, "The word atua, although having some other meanings, is in nearly all the Polynesian dialects used as the general designation of the gods" [Melville s note]. See Moa Atua. awha, alas! bedlamite, an inmate of the insane hospital called Bethlehem, later Bedlam, which was first a priory of St. Mary of Beth lehem, founded in London in the Thirteenth century. bo-a-sho, cooked breadfruit stirred into cold water (p. 156). botee, a boat. brazen bull, a torture instrument made for roasting the victims of Phalaris, king of Agrigentum, by the artisan Perillus. The builder of the beast was its first victim, and later the people rebelled and put the king himself into it. chapeau bras ("arm hat"), a plumed and pointed naval hat, made to be folded and carried under the arm. 353 354 GLOSSARY cloth tree, usually the paper mulberry; here probably the bread fruit tree, from which tappa was made. ena, here. Fabian tactics, Fabius (died about 203 B.C.) was a Roman general who finally defeated the Carthaginian invader Hannibal by skirmishes and delays and avoidance of decisive battles; he was called "the delayer." Fayaway, the daughter of Melville s host, Marheyo (see pp. 113 ff.)- Franee, Frenchmen. Gra-pes, the story of the excellent fruits of the Land of Canaan and of the courageous report which two spies brought back to the Hebrews, in contradiction of the cowardly advice of the other ten, is told in the Bible (Numbers, Chapter XIII). hanna pippee, is killing. Happar, a neighboring tribe, hostile to the Typees (pp. 26, 135; 172 ff. etc.); usually spelled Hapaa (cf. amar, above). hibiscus, a large group of plants, some of which produce a strong fiber the Indian hemp, etc. Hippocrates, a famous physician who lived before 400 B.C.; among writings said to be his are the "Oath of Aesculapius" and the "Law of the Guild" of physicians. hoolah hoolah (or hula-hula), a feast or dance; this and the pi-ula dance are described in Charles Warren Stoddard s "South Sea Idylls" (pp. 1245., 1892 edition). hoolah -hoolah ground, a pi-pi containing the temples, sacred to religious rites; such a "high place" in one of the valleys is described by Stevenson in "The South Seas," Chapter XII. Happy Valley, the residence of the Prince of Abyssinia in Dr. Johnson s "Rasselas" (1759). Jimmy, a tabooed white man who rescued Toby (see pp. 338 ff.). kanaka, a man; later, following the European s use of the word, a native. Tabooed kanaka, "an islander whose person has been made to a certain degree sacred by the operation of a singular custom hereafter to be described" [Melville s note]; cf. references under taboo (pp. 187 and 345). Karakoee, a tabooed native who rescued Melville (see pp. 328 ff.). Karky, a "tattoo artist" and Tahuku, expert in religious crafts (pp. 286 ff.).; a similar "priest, wizard, tattooer, practicer of any art" appears in Chapter XIV of The South Seas" kekeeno, bad, evil. GLOSSARY 355 ki-ki, eat; food. koar (or koa) wood, a kind of acacia which takes a high polish. kokoo, a preparation of cooked and pounded breadfruit and grated cocoanut (called koehi by Church) (see pp. 156 ff.). Kolory, the chief priest of the island, especially attached to Moa Atua (see pp. 235 ff.). Kory-Kory, son of Marheyo, Melville s chief attendant by order of King Mehevi (see pp. 109, etc.). La Madalena, a small island near Nukuheva. lumee lumee, called lomi-Lomi by Stoddard, and described with its invigorating after-effects in "South Sea Idylls," pp. 119- 20; a violent sort of massage in which the Marquesans were adept (see pp. 104 fL). mammee-apples, luscious tropical apricots as large as pineapples. Marheyo, the old native at whose house Melville and Toby lodged (see pp. uo-n; 327 ff.) Marnoo, a tabooed native who visits the Typee valley (see pp. 181 and 316 ff.). maro, a girdle of tappa. Massachusetts Bay, the name given by Admiral Porter, in 1813, to the bay here called Nukuheva and by the French Tai-o-hae. Mehevi, King of the Typee Valley (see pp. 92-3, 101 ff., 243 ff.). Stevenson describes another kingly, house of Nukuheva in Chapter IX of The South Seas. mioree, breadfruit (see pp. 94 ff. 153 ff-) Moa Atua, the principal god of the Typees (see pp. 236 ff.). This scene and Kory-Kory s treatment of the weak-kneed idol (pp. 241 ff.) suggest Kanana s worship of the cigar-store Indian in San Francisco, in "South Sea Idylls" (p. 41). moee, sit down, sleep (cf. mukee moee, dead). morai, burial ground. motarkee, good (cf. owle motarkee, shocking bad). Mowanna, king of Nukuheva Bay (see p. 339). Mow-Mow, a one-eyed chief of truculent temper (see pp. 326 and 336 ff.). mukee moee, dead. Narmonee, a courageous chief of the Typees (undergoing tor ture, p. 164; after battle, p. 310). Narnee, a young chief (see pp. 282 ff.). nuee, big, much, many, heaps; nuee puarkee ("big hog")> the natives name for the first horse they saw. 356 GLOSSARY Nukuheva Island, the largest of the Marquesas; Stoddard merely describes it in passing by ("South Sea Idylls," pp. 300 ff.); Stevenson tells much of interest about it. Nukuheva, the chief harbor on the same island, and its inhabi tants. otium cum dignitate, ease with dignity. owle, not (See owle motarkee). papa, a root from which a greenish cosmetic is made by the Marquesan women (pp. 245-6). pence, fish (p. 275); a similar scene is cleverly described in "South Sea Idylls," pp. 241-2. pemi, come. pigtail, sailor s tobacco twisted into a rope or cord. pi -pi (usually spelled pae-pae, and so pronounced), the stone platform on which Marquesan houses are built; this ledge of black volcanic rock and the house are also well described by Stevenson in "The South Seas," Chapter I and (Davos edition) p. in. poee-poee (or poi-poi), a pudding made of breadfruit (see p. 94; and for its manufacture, 1581!.). poo awa, run away; go. puarkee, pig (see p. 223); further interesting details of the Nukuheva pigs are given in "The South Seas," Chapter XI. "Long Pig" appears to have been the native name for enemies eaten after battle (p. 314). See also nuee puarkee. Puerka or Pueearka, another valley on Nukuheva Island, the home of Marnoo. roo-ne, prevent, stop. Ropo, a neighboring Marquesan island. Selkirk, a sailor who lived alone on Juan Fernandez Island, off the coast of Chili, from 1704 to 1709; his account of his experience probably suggested to Defoe the story "Robin son Crusoe." Sinbad: the story of Sinbad s contest with the Old Man of the Sea is told in the "Arabian Nights," the Fifth Voyage of Sinbad. sinnate, a cord of braided grass or fiber. Solyman, a famous conqueror who lived at Constantinople nearly a century after its capture and almost took Vienna; Byzan tium, which Mohammed III captured in 1453, had been called Constantinople since 330 A.D. GLOSSARY 357 taboo or tapu, forbidden; the practice of taboo by the last of the man-eating chiefs of Nukuheva is described by Steven son in "The South Seas," Chapter VI. (See "Typee," pp. 17, 177 ff., and 191 ff.). tabooed kanaka, see kanaka. Taboo Groves, the sacred groves about the Ti and temples (see Chapter XII, pp. 121 ff.). Tai-o-hae, the French name for Nukuheva Bay. tamaree, boy. tappa or tapa, a native cloth made from the bark of the bread fruit tree (see pp. 198 and 293 ff.). tattoo, markings made by pricking the skin with a sharp bone point dipped in pigment (see p. 286 ff. and note on Karky, above). "Beating the tattoo upon the tympanum" (p. 287) is of course a play on another word (from " tap-to," a drum signal for closing public-houses), the drum beat or bugle call ordering soldiers to their quarters. Ti, a sort of combination royal palace, bachelors hall, and old men s home, in which several scenes of this story take place. Tinor, wife of Marheyo, a notable housewife (see pp. in ff.). Tior, one of the bays and valleys on Nukuheva Island. Tommo, Melville s name among the Typees (see p. 93). tutao, breadfruit pounded with a pestle and ready to be preserved or cooked for food (see p. 157). Typee, a bay and valley to the east of Nukuheva Bay, and its inhabitants. vestals, the six priestesses of the Roman goddess of the hearth who, on pain of death, kept the sacred fire burning on the temple altars. Church mentions fire kept alight in a tree trunk on these islands, apparently an improvement over the method seen by Melville. wai, water. Wee Wees, a Nukuheva name for the French; see France. whinhenies, young girls. Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, wife of King Ahab of Israel, who tried to introduce her native gods into the kingdom; the dramatic story of her contest with the prophet Elijah and of her death is told in the Bible, I Kings Chapters 19 and 21, II Kings Chapter 9. REFERENCES John W. Church: "A Vanishing People of the South Seas." "National Geographic Magazine," October, 1919. Frederick O Brien: "White Shadows in the South Seas," Cen tury, 1919; illustrated from photographs. Paul Gaguin: "Noa Noa" (tr. by O. F. Theis; Nicolas L. Brown, publisher), a narrative of two years in Tahiti by a French painter who afterward lived and died on Nukuheva. Somerset Maugham: The Moon and Sixpence, a story of Gaguin in the South Seas. Robert Louis Stevenson: "The South Seas" (1900). Charles Warren Stoddard: "South Sea Idylls" (1893). C. A. Vincendon-Dumoulin and C. Desgraz: "lies Marquises ou Nouka-Niva; histoire, geographic, moeurs," Paris, 1843. An account and justification of the French occupation which occurred while Melville was upon the island; it contains a map and a translation of Admiral Porter s "emphatic and pompous" proclamation taking possession of these islands in 1812. Le P. Mathias G(racia): "Lettres sur les lies Marquises, ou Memoires pour servir a 1 etude religieuse, morale, politique et statistique des lies Marquises et de 1 Oceanie orientale, avec une carte geographique des lies et un dessin de 1 arbre a pain," Paris, 1843. Written by a French Catholic mis sionary in Oceania. Articles concerning Herman Melville F. J. Mather, Jr.: An Appreciation, Review, i, 276 and 298. R. M. Weaver: The Centennial of Herman Melville, Nation, 109, 145-6. Arthur Johnson: A Comparison of Manners, New Republic, 20, 113-15- Arthur Stedman: Melville of Marquesas, Review of Reviews, 4, 428. 358 REFERENCES 359 M. Philarete Chasles: " Voyages Reels et Fantastiques d Her- man(n) Melville " in Etudes sur la Litterature et les Moeurs des Anglo-Americains au XIX Siecle, Paris, 1850. E. E. Slosson: "A Number of Things," Independent, 91 : 79 and 89 : 84. Notes on Moby Dick and other Melville stories. E. M. Bacon: "Among the Berkshire Hills," in Literary Pilgrimages, pp. 451-6 (Portrait). Another Significant American Centenary, Current Opinion, 67:184. -. Herman Melville, Spectator 70, 859. 7 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED EDUCATION LIBRARY This publication is due on the LAST DATE stamped below. HOV 11961 NOV 8 1961 WOW 1 *> 1^61 NUV I P NOV 1 5 RECD NOV 2 2 1961 NOV 2 7 RECD DEC 4 1961 DEC 1 2 RECD DEC 1 9 1961 DEC 2 n prnn RB 17-60m-8, 60 (B3395slO)4188 General Library University of California Berkeley K 0403 464071 P^ 7 UNIVERSITY QF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY