THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Ht.UL. .UiNUF I UCA.A/0 ROVINGS IK THE PACIFIC, FROM 1837 TO 1849 ; A GLANCE AT CALIFORNIA, BY A MERCHANT LONG RESIDENT AT TAHITI. WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS PRINTED IN COLOURS. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMAN& 1851. J-ONDON : Sl'o7Tis\vooDEs and SHAW, Ne\v-streel-Square. Stack Annex Cage 6 TO SIR EDWARD BUWER LITTON, BART. WHOSE VARIED WORKS HAVE YIELDED LARGE STORES OF INTELLECTUAL ENJOYMENT TO A KOVER IN HIS WANDERINGS O'ER THE DEEP ; fnllnnirag ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BUT SINCEKE TRIBUTE OE GRATITUDE AND ADMIRATION, THE AUTHOR. U8SETS PREFACE. THE notes in the following pages have been copied, during the monotony of a protracted voyage, from the original entries, extending, as will be seen, over a series of years. The author has often been without sailing directions, and for the most part without charts, other than general ones of the Pacific; and as the results of his experience might save delay and doubt, to others similarly circumstanced, he has been recommended to submit them to the public. Wherever he could obtain the native names of Islands he has done so ; they are spelt after the orthography of dialects in Polynesia ; the vowels being accentuated as in France and other Conti- nental nations. The notes have undergone little alteration, addition, or subtraction, and but few re- marks have been interpolated. They are entirely without claim to literary merit ; but for the sake of easy reference, they have been divided into chapters, and furnished with such mottoes, more or less appli- cable to the subject in hand, as the author's memory could supply. The interest which has more recently VI PREFACE. been felt in England for all that relates to the islands of the Pacific, leads him to cherish the belief that the general information which he has scattered throughout his pages, will be deemed no unfit ac- companiment to the story of his personal adventures. The author's days, it will be seen, have been passed, not in the idealities of life, but in its downright rough realities ; and he is not without hope that this simple record of his experience may stimulate many a youth, whose energies are lying dormant for want of a field for their exertion in this densely peopled country, to seek, in the Isles of the Pacific, the home and the adventurous career which he is sure to find there, "if he faint not." Should this be the case, the principal end which the author had in view, by publishing these notes, will be fully attained. CONTENTS THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAPTER I. Determine on leaving England. Visit the School-house of my Boy- hood. Appointed to a Vessel bound to New South Wales. Farewell of Home. Join the Vessel at Deptford. Description of my Berth. Chance of being starved. Ship unmoored for Spithead. Prison-ship described. Captain, &c. comes on Board, and shortly after Three hundred and ten Prisoners - - 1 CHAP. IL Get under Weigh. Put into the Boatswain's Mess. The Messplace and its Members. Blue Water and a Watch. Symptoms of Opposition to Imposition. A boxing Bout. Prisoners un- manacled. Night Phenomena. Steward's Bewilderment : Ghost Stories do not relieve it. A Second Tom Tucker. The Captain imparts a Knowledge of the " Royal Brace." Chinese Drawings lead to a Threat of exhibiting the Pictures. Cape de Verde and Tristan de Cunha. Gale to the southward of the Cape of Good Hope. A Discovery: the Cook's Galley a better Night Station than the Quarter Deck. A Growl with Chips. How to hail the Watch. Pass through Bass's Straits. First Glimpse at Savage Life - - - - - - - 15 Vlll CONTENTS. CHAP. m. Sydney Harbour. Involuntary Acquaintance with the Water, before making that of the Land. Not quite friendless. The Town of Sydney. Botany Bay. " Brickfielders." Birds and Beasts. Hunters' River. Newcastle. The Country. River Paterson. Deadly Instances of the Venom of Snakes. A Ride after wild Cattle. The Country talked of. Corn Stalks. Illawara. Notices of the Aborigines - - 4 1 CHAP. IV. Off to New Zealand. A Gale. Bream Bay. Bay of Islands. Kororarika. Paihia. River Waitangi. River Kawakawa. White's Island. Roadstead of Warakaihika. Roadstead of Rungatukaia. Abandoned by the Schooner Overland Trip to Warakaihika. Selfish Conduct of a Chief. A Musical Cargo. Return to the Bay of Islands. Sojourn on one of the Is- lands - 63 CHAP. V. Take Passage in a small Schooner bound to the Thames District. Captain and Crew. Coromandel Harbour. Cross the Frith in an open Boat for Wakatinai. Arrival at the Maramarua. Conduct of Chief. The Maramarua Waikato River. An Ex- cursion in the Company of Natives. A Night Bivouac broken up by Rain. A Chief taboos himself against himself. Veneration of the Head by New Zealanders. Their Disregard of the Value of Tune. Sleeping in Maori Huts. The Waipa. Anecdote of a young Giant. Left in the Lurch. Relieved by a chance Tra- veller. Natives attempt at Extortion. Scene with a Fury. Journey Back. Burning Coal. The Animal and Vegetable Kingdom glanced at. The Return to Coromandel Harbour. A " Plant '' discovered, not a botanical one. Removal of a Taboo. Tale of a Pipe. Natives jolly. He that can help himself will find plenty to assist him. New Zealand Tactics. English Im- pudence. Hot Springs at Wakatinai. Excursion up the River Thames. Construct a Steamer. A Fracas from sleeping uncon- sciously on tabooed Ground. Two Chiefs blown up with Gun- powder. Mischievous Influence of Atua Chiefs. Scene round a CONTENTS. IX sick Couch. A Halt at the Mouth of the Biver. A Religious Thief. Anecdote of a Suicide. Estimate of New Zealanders' Character. "Wasteful Billy." A sick Headache. Put up for the Night at a Sawyer's Station. The River Thames - 84 CHAP. VL Harbour of Waikato. Directions for taking the Bar. Canoe Ex- cursion. Excitement of the Natives. Anecdotes. Proceedings regarding Adultery. A Mission for Port Nicholson. Get under weigh. A Night Descent into the Forecastle. A Meeting with the Chief. Seizure of the Vessel averted. Leave the Harbour. Mount Egmont. Cook's Straits. North Part of the Middle Island. Port Nicholson. The River "Hut." Erroneous Re- presentations and Dealings of Land-sharks. Waitimatta or Auck- . land. A Stroll to Manukao. Lady Franklin. *Return to Syd- ney. Remarks on New Zealand - - - 124 CHAP. VTL Bound on a wrecking Expedition, &c. A Squall. Howe's Island and Ball's Pyramid. Norfolk Island. Nepean Island Philip Island. Sight the " Rapid " Reef, but a Gale coming on, stand for Rotumab. Roadstead of Rotumah, the Island described. A Crater converted into a Sepulchre. The Cocoa-nut Tree. Natives. Their Government. The Division of the Island. The winning and the losing Side. The Power of the Chiefs, and whence derived. A singular Custom with their Virgins. A Marriage Festival and attendant Ceremonies. Punishment for Adultery, &c. Atua Chiefs, and their Mode of proceeding to recover the Sick. Interment of an Infant. Painful Infliction on the bereaved Mother. Women always the Sacrifice. Kara, its Preparation. Sensations of those about to drink, and its subse- quent Effects. Mode of propitiating an offended Chief. Play Houses. Burial Grounds. Sports at Night. Vanity piqued. Disease of the Country. A Method of taking Fish. Islands off Rotumah - - - - - - - 149 VOL. I. X CONTENTS. CHAP. VIII. Sail for the Reef. Difficulty iii finding it. The wrecked Hull heaves in sight. The Reef. Land in a Boat, and whilst over- hauling one Wreck, see our own Vessel fast. Sleep on the Sand- spit. Apprehensions, and a narrow Escape. Load three Boats, and pass another Night on the Spit. Load two Boats, and go on Board for a Spell. The Dollars discovered. Return to Rotu- mah. The Tatnaun Tree. Native Canoes. Process of Tattoo- ing. Circumcision. Traditionary Origin of Rotumah. Super- stitious Observances on the Culture and Manufacture of the Tur- meric Root. An unprecedented Privilege. Bearings of the Island off Rotumah from the Anchorage. Particular Description of Auth Luna or Split Island. Its difficult Landing. A perilous Pass. Bold Action of a Native. Wea Islanders, excellent Crags- men. A novel Egg Basket. Bird Catching. Kindness of the Wea Islanders. Landing of the Party from Rotumah. A Na- tural Cave. A Native Banquet Departure from 'Auth Luna. Attan Islet. Regain the Schooner. Their Navigator deserts them. A Row. Departure from Rotumah - 170 CHAP. IX. Mywolla. Make the Reef again. The Captain takes all the Sea- men to the Wreck and it falls calm. The Vessel drifts out of Sight of the Reef. Westerly Current in part accounted for. Abandonment of the Wreck. Make for the Bay of Islands. Alteration of Plans. The Vessel grounds on a Shoal off the North Shore opposite Auckland. Auckland improved, but Cash scarce. " Little Tom " quits the Vessel. New Master engaged. Under weigh for Tahiti. Sight Huaheine and Raiatea. Pass between Moorea and Tahiti. The entrance to it Tahiti des- cribed. Its People. Missionary Influence. Queen Pomare the Head of the Island. The Government shared by seven Chiefs. Laws in force at Night. Ancient Rites superseded by more en- lightened Instructions. Avata Shark. Horrible Sacrifice of an Infant by its Father. The Symbol conveyed to an intended Human Sacrifice. Form of the unhollowed Oblation. Want of Jealousy towards White Men accounted for Conversation with Flowers. Process of manufacturing Tappa. Native Colours, A curious Method of producing a Red Dye. Canoes. Novel mode of Fishing. Native Houses. Method of Cooking. Diseases of the Country - - 203 CONTENTS. XI CHAP. X. A Pearling Expedition. The Island of Maitea. Chain Island. Engage Divers. Neingo Neingo. Bow Island. Amanu. Entrance to Bow Island. The Fara Tree. A Moral Custom of making Offerings to the Spirit and the Manes of the Departed. The manner of Diving. Finish Diving. The Bow Islanders. Visits Agatan, a Savage Island. "Words not Deeds. Timidity of the Divers. Singular Ceremonies. Valorous Deportment of the Interpreter. Takume or Walchonsky Island. Risks which the Writer had unconsciously encountered. Raroia. Tainga. Makimo. Katin. Migratory Disposition of the Natives Faiti and Tania. Eed Pearls. Advantages which the Cocoa-nut Tree confers upon the Chain Islanders Their in- vading Disposition. War with Agatan Averted. Character of the Natives. Get under weigh for Manilla. Spring a Leak and put hack. Alter the Voyage, and clear out for Valparaiso. Sight the Andes. Narrowly escape being wrecked. The Port of Valparaiso. The Town or Almadral. Sunday Practices. Saints' Days. Road to Santiago, the Capital. Agricultural Instruments. Muleteers. Country Waggoners. Costume of the Ox-goaders. A mounted Wassan. Mode of Life common to the Muleteers and Carriage Drivers. Santiago. Anniversary Rejoicings. Anecdote of an English Equestrian. Equestrian Skill of the Chilenos. The Maypo. Its Bridge Traditionary Saying of the Indians. The Almeida. Signoritas. Ball-rooms. Gota. The Theatre. Quiltota. Exports of Chili. Foreign Commerce. Extraordinary Requirement to render written Docu- ments valid. A Case in point. Periodical Visits of Small-pox. Shocks of Earthquakes common. Aboriginal Race apparently extinct in the Neighbourhood - - 236 CHAP. XL The Classes that should quit England. Under weigh for Tahiti. Gambler's Islands. French Priests and their Influence. Timoe or Crescent Island. Osnaburg Island, or Matilda Rocks. Sight Ana. Drop Anchor in Taonoa Passage, Tahiti. French Pro- tection forced on Tahiti by Admiral du Petit Thouars. Taken to the Calliboose by Natives. A Dish of Sauce from a Mutineer. Condolence from a Descendant of the House of Israel Libera- tion from Confinement. The Captors tried and fined. The Xll CONTENTS. Author of "Typee" and " Omoo." His Memory assisted. Com- modore Wilkes. Bound for Kaiatea. Industry of the Natives. Tapoa, the King of Borabora Tahaa and its Reefs, &c. Bound on another Pearling Voyage. The Island of Ohiteroa or Rurutu. .Tedious Passage to Kapa. Engage Divers with Diffi- culty. Tioo. The Queen of Rapa. Her Character for Gal- lantry. Religion of the People. A narrow Escape. Bass's Rocks. Adverse Winds. Gambier's Islands again. Conduct of French Priests. Behaviour of Mareva Natives. Leave Gam- bier's Islands. A Comet. Sight Lord Hood's Island. Les four Facardines. Thrum Cap Island. At Anchor in the Lagoon of Bow Island. Engage Bow Islanders. Sudden Sickness and Death of a Native. Visible Tokens from the Tupapan. An Arrival from Amann. Perfidy of a Sandwich Islander. Fishing Excursions. Cease Diving for want of Food. A Fugitive from the Island of Faeatae. Return of the Schooner. Captain's Re- port The Jules de Blosville, a French Brig. Conduct of her Captain. Give up Diving. Remarks on Pearls. The " Doc- tor's " Saucepan. A Calm. Aviri, or Prince William Henry Island. A Gale. Sight Rapa. Go ashore in a Boat. Mor- tality amongst the Natives. Superstitiously accounted for. Parting Benediction from Rapa, Gale renewed. Speak ths French Barque Jules Cesar. The Gale continues. Again fall in with the Jules Cesar. Isle Masafuera. Juan Fernandez Reach Valparaiso. Arrival of a Schooner. Bad Passage made by every Vessel coming from the Westward. Loss of the Vessel into which Cargo had been transhipped at Tahiti for Sydney 281 ROVINGS THE PACIFIC. CHAPTER I. Determine on leaving England. Visit the School-bouse of my Boyhood. Appointed to a Vessel bound to New South Wales. Farewell of Home. Join the Vessel at Deptford. Description of my Berth. Chance of being starved. Ship unmoored for Spithead. Prison-ship de- scribed. Captain, &c. comes on Board, and shortly after Three hundred and ten Prisoners. " Pity he loved adventurous life's variety." 1837. IN the first dawn of manhood, but an un- weaned infant to the world and its ways, it was at the commencement of the year 1837 that I found myself slowly recovering from an attack of pleurisy, which had reduced me to the brink of the grave, the illness which had so prostrated me having been induced by anxiety of mind brought on by blighted hopes and ruined affections. Utterly ignorant of all commercial affairs, with a burning sensitiveness of niy VOL. I. B 2 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. want of knowledge, in vain I directed my thoughts this way and that : the world was before me, and a dreary prospect it presented. I had taken up my abode for a few days at a tavern in the Borough, and whilst moodily brooding over my position, at length arrived at the conclusion that England was no place for me, and I'd go abroad. By going abroad, I had no particular part of the globe in view ; all I desired was to escape from scenes and faces I had known under different circumstances ; and I thought that in some far distant country, where I was unknown, I might probably win my way through life, without exposing myself to derisive scorn or sym- pathy. I was no longer a boy literally speaking ; yet I felt that in England, every person I met was more than my master at all its ways, and the only chance I had was to fly from it, and that as speedily as possible. Little did I reck as to what extremity of the earth I might be carried ; only let me get out of England, away from the scenes that were crushing me, and I had no fear. Amongst the acquaintances I had contracted were some staid commercial men whom I occasionally met in the commercial room of the tavern above alluded to ; and to one of them I mentioned my determination to leave the country. " Are you serious ? " inquired he. " If so, I can put you in the way of going to Australia free of expense." I soon convinced him of my earnestness, and he assured me "that in a day or two he would make it all right." When a lad at school, I had skimmed Cook's and other navigators' " Voyages round the 'World ;" but THE SCHOOL-HOUSE. 3 my knowledge of Australia was limited to the recol- lection, that the climate was salubrious, the natives a primitive race that went about in a state of nudity, and but little excelling the monkey in intelligence, and that the country abounded with kangaroos and other queer animals. Never mind, it was almost at the antipodes, and as I wanted to place distance be- tween me and England, by Jupiter, thought I, here's a chance ; and so sanguine was I of getting away, that, without waiting to hear anything further, I mounted one of the long stages to take a last fare- well of the spot where I had passed my childish days. On arriving at the country village no one greeted me, and, although many an inquiring eye was cast upon me, I passed unrecognised several fine young men and women whom I remembered as boys and girls with " shining morning faces." The first house I visited was the old school-house : it was no longer in the same hands, and I had to crave permission to walk over the grounds. The school had dwindled away, and there was a sort of withered aspect about the place, which was in unison with the tone of my feelings. The house was the same, and in one of the windows of the upper story, I descried the identical pane of glass I had broken when a little urchin, and for which I received so severe a flogging, that I heard the old pedagogue say, "I should remember it for a month, which would teach me to throw stones for the future." But every thing wore a neglected, melancholy appearance, and im- pressed me with such a sense of my ownloneliness,that I felt relieved when I was once more in the sunshine B 2 4 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of the street. I paid a round of visits, and had to make myself known to all I called upon; and, un- seasonable to some as the hour of my visit proved, I would not take " No " for a denial, but persisted in grasping, for the last time, the hands that had been locked in childhood with mine. On returning to the City, my friend apprised me that a large vessel was to sail for Sydney in a few days, and if I felt so disposed, I could join her; but there was no time to lose. Government had chartered the vessel to convey convicts to New South Wales, and as, by regulation, she was bound to carry more hands than the complement required for mere navi- gation, if I would submit to have my name put on the ship's articles, I should be treated kindly, and landed in Sydney, and I could render any service in my power on the voyage. I jumped at these terms, and was directed to the agent's office in Mark Lane. The agent seemed surprised at my appearance, but finding there was no mistake, introduced me to the ship's husband : this gentleman received me with kindness, and gave me an order to join the vessel, but recom- mended me to doff the exterior garments of a gentle- man, and to don vestments more assimilating to the garb of those who earn their bread upon the waters. I thanked him, and hastened to one of the large slop warehouses in the city, where I made as limited a selection of articles as I deemed necessary for the voyage, for, goodness knows, my purse was at the lowest neap. I then took my way to the suburbs, to bid farewell to some relatives. On the road I met my father; the poor old gentleman reeled like a drunken JOIN VESSEL AT DEPTFORD. 5 man, when I made the announcement that I was off; but there was no help for him or me, so I steadily pursued my purpose, resolving that no unavailing weakness should overcome me. That afternoon I was at home to join in the last dinner I was ever destined to partake beneath my father's roof tree : the family meeting was a painful one, scarcely a word was spoken, and I was not sorry when the spring van arrived to convey my luggage to the vessel. Sup- pressing my emotions as I best could, I quickly effected a change in my apparel, and bidding a hasty, but a hearty adieu, to those who were weeping around me, I leapt into the van, and desired the driver to push on, fearful of betraying my manhood if I turned my head. I kept a steadfast gaze between the horse's ears, and remained insensible to all objects in passing till we arrived at Deptford, off which place the ship was lying. Hailing a waterman's boat, in a few minutes I was alongside. It was in the latter end of February, and the evening was closing in rain and chilly, as I found myself on the quarter-deck, in the very centre of confusion. No one noticed me; so, thinking I had staid sufficiently long to have secured ample ad- miration, I ventured to inquire of one of the men near me, where I was to put my trunks. "Divil a bit of me knows," said the lusty Hibernian; " here's no room for yez, any how." " Well I can't leave my trunks here, room or no room." " Bad cess to it then ! Hurroah bye, bear a hand ! " and with that he commenced dragging my trunks along the deck, until they disappeared, beneath his B 3 6 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. herculean gripe, in a mysterious sort of cavern, called the after hatchway. Presently Pat emerged from the darkness, carrying over his shoulder a hammock, in which was lashed his sea stock. " By Jasus," he ejaculated, " I'm off to the fo'castle." Where that particular locality was, I had not the slightest idea ; but as my good-natured friend hurried to the fore part of the vessel, I supposed it had something to do with that direction. I remained on deck a short space longer, to see if any one would question me ; but as they did not, I thought it advis- able to follow the track my trunks had taken. De- scending with caution, I stumbled into a strange scene: hammocks were suspended from the beams, and side-berths, like so many cribs in a manger, ran along either side of the vessel and against the dividing partition. Trunks, hammocks, chests, old clothes, hats, shoes, and every species of litter bestrewed the deck in the most indescribable confusion, rendered worse by the light with which I beheld it, the fitful yellow glare of a tin lamp fed with black oil, the flame issuing from a spout in the centre, and continually vomiting forth clouds of unctuous smoke. I almost imagined I had made a descent into Pandemonium, and the com- pound of villanous smells that saluted my olfactory nerves did not tend to mitigate the idea. Little, or, I should say, not the slightest attention was shown to me, and I commenced a search for my boxes. In case of need, I had purchased a hammock ; and as I looked round in vain for a place where I could repose for the night, I commenced slinging this nautical couch. My awkwardness excited the commiseration BERTH. 7 of one of the 'prentices, who came to my aid, and se- cured it properly. Thanking the youngster for his kindness, and by a strong effort of the will turning a deaf ear to all the noises going on around me, and disregarding the suffocating air and foul stenches, I clambered into this pendulous stretcher, and schooled myself for the trials before me. In the midst of my resolves, I fell asleep. I was awake again long be- fore daylight, but it was some minutes before I was fully conscious of my situation, and it was with feel- ings of unwonted depression that I listened to the deep breathing of the slumberers beside and around me. I had experienced hitherto but little of the hardships of life : this was the first time I had slept out of a bed, and without undressing for the occasion ; and I felt stiff and feverish, longing for the light of morning. Once when at home, I thought I had been particularly ill-used, because on one occasion, during the winter, linen sheets had been spread for me in- stead of cotton, but I now began to fancy that other times were in store for me. With the first breaking of the grey dawn, a tre- mendous knocking was heard over head, and then came a bellow which appeared to have issued from the throat of an insane bull : this I speedily discovered w r as the polite way of summoning the ship's company to their work. The lurid haze of the fetid lamp was still smouldering, but only so as to cast every thing into still deeper shadow, and the scene which followed the mild and gentle call would have deterred a less determined purpose than mine. Such hawking, spitting, and combination of sights and sounds, it had B 4 8 ROYINGS IN THE PACIFIC. never been my lot to see or hear of. I was disgusted beyond measure, and rushed upon deck to rid me of this waking incubus. The air was sharp and bracing, and after I had immersed my head and hands in a bucket of water drawn from alongside, I felt refreshed. The men dispersed themselves about various duties, but no one noticed me. The captain and officers had not yet come on board, and I found myself subjected to a similar disregard when meal- time came, so that I ran a pretty good chance of being starved within sight of my native mud ; a ter- mination to my adventures of which I felt by no means ambitious. Accordingly, at the mid-day meal, I inquired of a set of fellows who were sitting with naked feet around a mess-kid of beef and potatoes, to which they appeared to be paying their respects with considerable zest, where I could amuse my jaws in the same agreeable exercise. The fellows grinned, but were at a loss how to advise me. "D n it all," said I, " I can't afford to starve altogether, and reluctant as I feel to intrude upon your commons, if you'll just pass me the kid, I'll try and hold out till I see what the devil's to become of me." One of the men by this time had coaxed the kid between his legs, and after surveying its contents with a wistful air, he suddenly caught hold of a shoe that happened to be lying within his reach, and first moistening the upper leather with his spittle, vigorously stropped his knife thereon, and with unabated zeal attacked the beef. He was like a fresh soldier to the breach, and notwithstanding the disgust I felt at the way he prepared his weapon, I could not but entertain CHANCE OF STARVING. 9 reasonable apprehensions for any renewed assault on the part of his comrades : however, my fears proved groundless ; the kid was relinquished to my grasp, and, carefully eschewing the side of the meat that had received the incision from the last carnivorous blade, I helped myself sparingly, resolving for the future to come in for my share of first cuts, no matter how or where I obtained them. The following day I received the same degree of attention, but on the next the captain and some of the officers came on board, and I had to undergo a painful interview with some of my friends, who en- deavoured, in vain, to shake my resolution. One kind-hearted friend saw into my position, and wanted to arrange for my passage in the cuddy ; but I had passed the Rubicon, and by unflinchingly submitting to the ordeal I had voluntarily subjected myself to, I thought I should the better prepare myself to en- counter future hardships ; nevertheless, this generous friend would not take my word, but endeavoured to make arrangements with the captain. His efforts, however, proved unavailing, as the captain explained that his cabins had been entirely taken up by the government; but he promised to treat me well, as I should be of service to him on the voyage, and when my friend had taken his departure, he sent for me, and regretting his inability to alter my position, promised to make me as comfortable as possible, so soon as he could get the ship to rights. This was encouraging, and as night again approached, thoroughly out of conceit with hammocks, I selected one of the unoccu- 10 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. pied cribs or bunks, as sailors call them, for my future resting-place. " All hands to unmoor" was the meaning of the hoarse roar that came rushing down the hatchway, as day broke the next morning, and one of the mates, following up the cry, came blundering in amongst the boxes with " Tumble up there, tumble up ; don't you hear the news ? Show a leg or a black stocking." The capstan was manned and the anchor was soon swinging at the bows. I paid very little attention to the scenery as we proceeded down the river, my whole soul being taken up with the past; and so intense were my reminiscences, that I forgot the present and took no heed for the future. Once only I was aroused to a sense of what was going on around me, by a little spurt that took place at the helm. The pilot was training his son to the river ; and his son, a stout young man, had got hold of the spokes of the wheel. " Port," growled the pilot. "Port, sir ?" was the response. " Port, I say," shouted the pilot like an outraged bear. " Port it is," angrily rejoined the son. " And port it should be, d n your eyes," was the paternal benediction. The son stood rebuked, and notwithstanding the ominous scowl depicted in the sire's countenance, I could not refrain from bursting into a shout of laughter, which ill-timed levity by no means added to the amiability of the old sea-bear's expression. Arrived at Spithead, where we were to take in the convicts, the order was passed that no one was to leave the vessel ; and now I found the time had come when either I must help myself or go to the wall. SPITHEAD. 11 All the crew destined for the voyage were on board, and most of them at the outset were rough, surly, and selfish ; there were no regular watches, and it appeared to be every man for himself and God for us all. I was very thin and pallid, my hands and face being delicate as a woman's, totally differing from those of the rude beings around me. "I say, you sir," shouted one of these hairy monsters who was securing some spare spars on the long-boat, " give us a handful of grease, will ye ?" " Certainly : " and I walked for- ward, dipped my hand into the cook's slush tub, and literally gave him what he asked for. I never moved a muscle, and the innocent amazement depicted in the fellow's face was so rich, that I enjoyed a quiet internal chuckle. He never troubled me with any more commands ; but on the very night of this occur- rence, on going below, I found my mattress and bedding tumbled about anywhere, and the dirty bed- ding of one of the seamen stowed in my bunk. " Hallo ! who the devil's had the impudence to do this? Stand clear ! " and I flung the intruder's dirty rags right and left ; and having again introduced my own clothes, "Xow let's see the man," said I, "that'll venture to take 'em out. Not a word was uttered, and I never discovered who it was that had so coolly usurped possession ; but this display of determination to stand no nonsense saved me from further molesta- tion of this nature. "\Ve had not long been anchored at Spithead, before a detachment of the 80th regiment came on board, consisting of forty-five soldiers and five or six women, wives to some of the men ; and now devolved 12 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. upon me the honourable office of marking the blankets and other articles destined for the use of the convicts. For the information of those who have never seen a prison-ship, let me describe it. The whole body of the vessel between decks, from the after-hatch to the fore-hatch, is partitioned off by strong stanchions studded with heavy clout nails, placed so as to prevent the possibility of their being sawn or cut through, apertures being left in the stanchions "to admit of the discharge of musketry upon the pri- soners in case of their proving refractory. Two tiers of bunks or standing bed-places are ranged one above the other on either side of the space so partitioned off, each bunk being allotted for five men ; and down the centre of the vessel run two ranges of hammocks. Part of the crew were berthed abaft the after-hatch- way in the dark hole already alluded to, and the remainder had their abode forward of the fore hatch- way, which I subsequently learnt was called the forecastle. From curiosity I did penetrate the satur- nine region, and, if possible, the murky den was worse than the dark hole. A man's house is called his castle, but why these gloomy, dark, pestiferous pits should receive the name, I am at a loss to determine. The prisoners' lodgings were better than the crew's. Two cooking ranges, or galleys, as they are called, occupied the bow of the vessel, covered in by a deck from the high bulwarks which rejoices in the stately name of top gallant forecastle ; the after part of the vessel was occupied by a raised deck called the poop, corre- sponding with the top gallant forecastle, and beneath this poop were the cuddy and state rooms for the CAPTAIN COMES ON BOARD. 13 passengers, spacious and elegant, my wretched crib forming the very bathos to these accommodations. The quarter deck, that part of the upper deck abaft the mainmast, was separated from the waist, or that portion of the deck forward of the mainmast, by a strong barricade, the quarter deck being allotted for the crew, the waist for the prisoners, and the poop for the officers, &c. The soldiers of the guard were lodged in my fashionable locale, their bunks being arranged similar to those destined for the prisoners. For the breadth of the vessel in that part (a fact I could not at first distinguish) was divided by a stout bulkhead, and what I took to be the side of the vessel, after- experience showed me was only a separating par- tition. The captain, with his wife and her sister, and the surgeon, joined us at Spithead, and a major, a lieu- tenant, and an ensign came on board as officers commanding the guard: these formed the elite company of the vessel. Every thing being now in readiness, our cargo of convicted sin was brought alongside in launches, each individual member being clad in an uniform of pepper and salt of the most rigid economic cut, their brows being surmounted by woollen caps corresponding in style to the rest of their dress. One leg was also embraced by an anklet of iron supporting a chain of the same precious metal carried up to the waist. I expected to have en- countered an ill-looking set of scoundrels, with ferocity depicted under every guise ; but the motley group that scrambled up the sides were a hale, hearty, fresh- looking set of fellows, humble and submissive as 14 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. lambs: there were no men above the middle age amongst them, although I observed two or three complete boys. We had mechanics of all trades, tailors, shoemakers, butchers, weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, whitesmiths, locksmiths, tinsmiths, cabi- net-makers, workers in brass and gold, engravers, bakers, pastrycooks, farmers, miners, itinerant musi- cians, glee singers, strollers, and gipseys ; and, with reluctance be it spoken, in the list I must include two solicitors and two master mariners. The sun had dipped below the horizon, when the last of our 310 manacled specimens of zoology was tallied in board, and there was something painfully humiliating in the spectacle of so many human beings huddled together like a flock of sheep : they moved in the same helpless mass at the word of command, just as the said sheep would at the bark of the shep- herd's dog ; and notwithstanding they had been guilty of crimes which had brought their own punishment, I felt my sympathies strongly enlisted in behalf of the poor fellows, and for a while forgot my own troubles in commiserating theirs. 15 CHAP. II. Get under "Weigh. Put into the Boatswain's Mess. The Messplace and its Members. Blue Water and a Watch. Symptoms of Opposition to Imposition. A boxing Bout. Prisoners unmanacled. Xight Phenomena. Steward's Be- wilderment : Ghost Stories do not relieve it. A Second Tom Tucker. The Captain imparts a Knowledge of the " Royal Brace." Chinese Drawings lead to a Threat of exhibiting the Pictures. Cape de Verde and Tristan de Cunha. Gale to the southward of the Cape of Good Hope. A Dis- covery : the Cook's Galley a better Xight Station than the Quarter Deck. A Growl with Chips. How to hail the Watch. Pass through Bass's Straits. First Glimpse at Savage Life. " Adieu ! adieu ! my native shore Fades o'er the waters blue ; The night winds sigh, the breakers roar, And shrieks the wild seamew. Yon sun that sinks upon the sea, We follow in his flight ; Farewell awhile to him and thee, My native land, Good night." : Away the good ship flies, and leaves old England on our lee." March 7th. HITHERTO I have not been particular as to the day of the month, but this was the memorable date of our leaving Old England's shores. What a melancholy sound that heaving at the capstan had! the jarring and grating of the cable as it came slowly in at the hawse holes had a similar effect upon my nerves ; and with every clank of the chain as they 16 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. dragged it along the deck, my hold upon my country seemed dwindling away. But I hadn't long for the indulgence of sorrowful fancies. The talent of one of the itinerant musicians was put in requisition ; seated upon the capstan head, with a shrill fife he struck up a lively air, and away we gyrated with the capstan bars spinning round and round with a " stamp and go," keeping time to the measure : the anchor was aweigh, the wind was fair, and I soon took my fare- well gaze at Britain. We were scarcely fairly at sea, when the captain, for the second time since I had been on board, ac- costed me. " Agreeably to my promise," said he, " I have stationed you in the boatswain's mess : I think you will be more comfortable there than in the third mate's, and you will have a boy to wait upon you." I bowed my acknowledgments, and as he was a man of few words, this second interview terminated. The mess I was appointed to consisted of the boatswain, the carpenter, the sail-maker, the ship's steward, two apprentices, and myself, and the place where we held our daily symposiums is worthy of description. Chock aft, that is, as far in the stern of the vessel as you could possibly get, separated from the common 'tvveen-deck berth by a bulkhead, was a triangular nook, impervious to daylight or fresh air ; two bunks occupied one of its angular sides, and four hammocks hung suspended cheek by jowl, which were triced close up to the deck overhead when not in use. The scene was illumined night and day by one of the sputtering train oil lamps I have described, and the lights at Mahomet's tomb in the cave at Mecca were MY MEDIATES. 17 not more carefully attended to as regards their ex- tinguishment, than was our solitary noxious illumi- nator : but whether this attention was inspired by devotion or by fear of the boatswain's fist, let others determine. The carpenter's tool-chest formed the dining-table, the sail-maker from his stores of old canvass furnished us tablecloths, and the chests of the sleeping inmates of this earthly elysium, secured by elects to the deck, formed the banqueting- seats. Our dinner service, which also served us for breakfast and supper, consisted of a pannikin, a tin-plate, a tinned iron spoon, and a knife and fork for each individual. I made no pretensions to superior notions of gentility, but, bearing in mind the old adage, carefully did at Koine what the people at Rome do. It was the duty of the boys to look after the table gear, and to keep the den clean ; and I have often been not a little amused at witnessing the younger of the two, a brat under twelve years of age, clear a way for himself from the cook's galley, by shouting out " scaldings, scaldings," although he might be carrying nothing of a more burning character than the plates and pan- nikins he had just been submitting to the act of purification. And now let me speak of my mess- mates. The boatswain was esteemed a first-rate seaman, a man of about five feet eight in height, but with limbs and a breadth and depth of chest that could well have supported an additional foot in alti- tude. His head was massive as his body, but round as a bullet, thickly covered with coal-black hair, inclined to curly : he had a frank manly look, which did not belie his character, and a mouth furnished VOL. I. C 18 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. with a most powerful set of grinders, which was continually laughing " all over his face." He was exceedingly good tempered, had an ambition to learn to write and cipher, and was imbued with much of that harmless superstitious lore which sailors love to impart one to the other during the unbroken still- ness of the mysterious night-watches. "Old Sails," as his name implies, was past the prime of life, a tall gaunt figure, the ruins of a Hercules ; his body was warped by age, and he hadn't a rounded limb belong- ing to him ; but where the plumpness of youth had faded, the muscles and sinews protruded in cords and bunches, bringing out his joints in acute angles. His long horny fingers resembled carrots marled together, but they curved like talons ; his shaggy black locks were still exempted from the bleaching effects of time, and were matted on his brow like the intermingled masses in the front of a buffalo; his forehead was low, and his remarkably small eye, shaded by a penthouse of thick black hair, when ex- cited by mirth or anger, would nearly disappear, but emit a sparkling light like the glancing of a fire-fly, whilst innumerable wrinkles would radiate from the outer corners. He was never without a plug of the weed of wisdom in his mouth, and the drainings from it imparted a liquorice appearance to his mouth and teeth. He Avas a great admirer of the Romans and Carthaginians, and ever ready to lug them into his discourse; his knowledge of their history having been derived from a mutilated metrical account of the Punic wars. The carpenter, or " Chips," as was his more common appellative, was the medium in years MY MESSMATES. 19 between the boatswain and sail-maker, a dry caustic being, of reserved habits, and inclined to be cynical ; like many of his class, his frame was bowed from the nature of his work, and his legs resembled the styles of a pair of compasses ; he had a crafty clear blue eye ; and his head, square as a die, was covered with a close crop of flat curling brown hair, and altogether the expression of his face was a combina- tion of reserve and cunning. Shakspeare was his idol, and his works formed the only volume in his possession ; and in any controversy he was as ready with his favourite author as " Old Sails " was to lug into the field his Roman history. The steward was a hot-headed Irishman, staunch in the performance of his duty, favoring neither friend nor foe, and in that respect well qualified for his situation ; but he was rather fond of taking Purser's nips, and in con- sequence towards night would talk with a somewhat thickened burr, grow disputatious, and occasionally roll out his brogue in a way practicable only by a true Milesian. On these occasions I would delight in leading them into a perplexed train of argument, when " Sails " would be roaring about the Cartha- ginians, " Chips " be thumbing Shakspeare in search of a text to settle the point in discussion, and the steward would be consigning every thing to the "pit of blazes ; " " he wouldn't give a fig for Shakspare or the Carthyganiuns, what would England do without Ould Ireland ? Who supplies her navy with pro- visions ? Ould Ireland ! Who furnishes her army with sogers ? Ould Ireland ! Don't talk to nie about yer Mark Antonys, yer Julus Casars, or yer Mer- c 2 20 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. chants of Vanus. Masther Bony would have had you long ago if it hadn't been for the Irish ; and if the Union was to be repaled, England would go to glory." The boatswain all this time would be swaying his body from side to side, his mouth dis- tended by a broad grin ; and when the confusion had reached its highest, I would interfere, and with a torrent of words and volubility of utterance there Avas no standing up against, quote authorities, or pretend to quote them, settle the affairs of Europe in a twinkling, laugh at Scipio, call Hannibal a fool, tell Shakspeare to bag his head, and the steward to shut his potato-trap as a know-nothing bogtrotter, and before the astonished disputants could rally in defence of their arguments or favorites, I would seize a pack of cards and call out to cut for partners, " all fours " being the highly recherche game with which we used to while away the hours known to the initiated as "dog-watches." The two apprentices had both been a voyage to the East : the eldest was a quiet lad, earnest in his desire to acquire his pro- fession ; but the youngest was the smallest mite, though the biggest scamp that ever had limbs swathed in canvas : he was a protege of " Old Sails," who used to regard him much as a bear would be supposed to fondle a pet monkey, but the young imp had got the measure of " Old Sails' " foot, and well he knew how to work him. March to July. "We were no sooner in blue water and well clear of the land, when the chief officer politely greeted me, and told me I was in his watch. " A WATCH." 21 " I beg your pardon, I did not come here to be a sailor. I'll do anything consistent with my abilities, and am not above using my hands, but I never bar- gained for keeping night-watches." "Ridiculous nonsense," he replied; "everybody else in the ship keeps them, and why should you wish to be exempt?" And what by cajolery and argu- ment, abounding in rigmarole, but none the more convincing on that account, I felt compelled, seeing no remedy, to submit to circumstances ; for having been induced, by representations of the ship's husband, to put rny signature to a scroll which was presented to me, I fancied remonstrance would be idle, and might make matters worse. Here I was then, regu- larly installed as an ordinaiy, or with more propriety it should be said, an extraordinary seaman. I was not so grateful at my appointment as perhaps I might have been, and I made an internal vow, that if the mate fancied by this manoeuvre to secure me as a companion to cheat the dull hours of night, he should find himself mistaken. 'Twas bitter cold when my first night-watch commenced (from 8 till 12), and flakes of snow kept me company as I underwent my initiation. The men of the watch were stowed in every place on deck where they could find shelter, and I was not long in securing a berth for myself, by stowing my carcass in the topsail hailyard rack. My nose and knees were jammed together, and in defiance of freezing winds, falling snow, and all the other combinations of evil, I lapsed into slumber. I had not remained long insensible to my mortifications, when I felt myself roughly shaken by the collar, and heard a c 3 22 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. gruff voice say, "Come, I say, you sir, get out of this; that's my place." Soon as my dull senses comprehended the purport of this summons, I bounded up like an exasperated tiger. " Is it, by Heaven ! It is if you are a better man than I; so come on;" and I commenced spar- ring at him in a paroxysm of rage. " No, no, no ! Mister, I was only joking." " Joking, were you ? then just mind your eye how you joke again, my fine fellow, or you may find yourself in the wrong box ! " And with this I again settle down in the envied rack. In the morning watch (from 4 till 8), I was in- ducted into the mysteries of a lee helmsman, and the last two hours of it saw me burnishing cutlasses and boarding-pikes, swabbing decks, pumping ship, pulling here, hauling there, till my hands felt like two blisters. " Tough yarns these, sir," says one of the men ; " anyhow, its what may be called yarning one's breakfast." I perfectly concurred with him in that idea, and eight bells striking, retreated like a rabbit to its warren, to partake of that meal ; and now I became regularly introduced to my messmates. The boatswain, as president, received me with a chuckle, and I made my salutations in a way to re- lieve the whole mess from too overpowering a sense of the important personage introduced amongst them. Breakfast over, there was a general surrender of all private stores for the joint benefit of the mess, the boatswain taking charge of the stock. The daily ship's allowance was beef, duff, and biscuit one day ; pork, pea-soup, and biscuit the next, with an allowance of " OUR MESS." 23 water, every one having to find his own small stores. Very different was the beef now from that I partook of when I first came on board. Beef! heavens, what an hallucination ! The fagged ends of a birchen rod steeped in brine possess as much delicacy and fla- vour. I was acquainted with the taste of the latter when a juvenile scholastic tyro, and therefore am qualified to speak upon the subject. The pork, when warm, was so rank and oleaginous, 'twas impossible to eat it ; and then was the time when I sang the praises of " Ould Ireland," and lauded the country that kept us all from starving. Who has not seen or heard of a November London fog ? how often has it been compared to pea-soup? but never until I saw the mixture passing by that name on board ship, was I so thoroughly convinced of the aptness of the simi- litude. Our fellows used to call it dog's body ; " and they had a doggrel chant about the beef, of which I remember a stanza or two, viz. : " Old horse, old horse, what brought you here ? You have drawn turf for many a year, With knocks and kicks and sore abuse, Now salted down for sailor's use." The duff was a delectable mixture of cook's slush, flour and water turned into a canvass bag shaped like a sugar loaf, secured at the base or mouth by a piece of marline, knotted with several telegraphic knots, to distinguish it from that belonging to any other mess, boiled in common in the ship's coppers. Uninviting as the description of it may appear, 'twas the only thing, besides the biscuit, which I could stomach, for c 4 24 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. as our mess, by virtue of its standing, was admitted to the privilege of consuming the meridian allowance of grog below, a privilege denied to the rest of the ship's company, I was enabled to manufacture a kind of sauce, which aided me in stowing away a sufficient cargo to keep me in ballast trim, as the "Old Salts" had it; and I proved the value of the saying, that " a light heart and a thin pair of breeches carry a man through the world." To repine was useless, and al- though the biscuit could have almost answered in the affirmative to the Scriptural query of " if he ask for bread would ye give him a stone ? " I found means of rendering it less flinty, but not until I had unfor- tunately sacrificed two molars, one on either side of the upper jaw, in the vain attempt to soften its ob- duracy. I yielded to the blast, as sailors would say, and, in defiance of all obstacles, managed to extract both fun and information out of my novel situation. If haply I had succumbed to others at the commence- ment, I should have led the life of a dog. My ap- pearance, as before remarked, was anything but ro- bust, and judging from this that I was more fit for a barber's clerk than to mix with sailors, as some of them subsequently told me, they attempted practical jokes and impositions, "but," said they, "you were too old for us." Their last attempt occurred after we had been about a week at sea. 'Twas one morning about five o'clock, when preparations had commenced for washing decks : the sun had sent Aurora with her blushing tribute to announce his coming, and I stood entranced at the gangway, lost in admiration at the glorious spectacle. A small spar used to be A BOXING BOUT. 25 made fast at the gangway for the purpose of facili- tating the drawing of water, and whilst entirely ab- sorbed in my pleasing contemplation, the fellow, sent to secure it, dropped it designedly upon my head. Had it been an accident, I should have taken no notice of it, or if the fellow had offered an apology, however awkward ; but happening to turn quickly, I detected him in the act of making grimaces at his comrades, who were laughing immoderately. This could not be overlooked, so I stepped up and dealt him a smart open-handed box on the ear ; in an in- stant he was at me, and a pugilistic encounter com- menced on the quarter-deck. The battle was long maintained on equal terms, when an unfortunate roll of the vessel, seconding a blow I received, sent me rolling in the lee scuppers. Boisterous was the shout from my antagonist and his cronies ; but it did not last long. Returning to the encounter with the speed of light, but cautiously guarding against a similar mischance, I drove him backwards, till I pinned him against the pump brake, and there purnmeled him to his heart's content. The mate, all this time, was an observant spectator of the engagement from the poop, but feigned not to notice it. After I had taken ample satisfaction, I left my adversary blow- ing like a broken-winded horse, and admonished him to be more cautious for the future, how he played tricks upon travellers. To his credit be it spoken, he bore me no malice, and at any time thereafter was ready to oblige me. The rivets were stricken from the prisoners' manacles soon after the land appeared like a cloud 26 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. in the distance, and they were allowed the unfettered use of their limbs. To some this may sound impru- dent; but what could the helpless beings do? There wasn't one in fifty, probably, who had been to sea before, and though equally probable that even a less number than that was as well versed in Shakspeare as the learned " Chips," yet all might have partici- pated in the feeling that it was better "to bear the ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of." Their conduct was inoffensive throughout the voyage, and when the first joltings, pitchings, and rollings had caused things to subside in their proper places, one of the quondam solicitors commenced editing a manuscript newspaper, under the title of the " Traveller," with " Open to all, influenced by none," for its watchword of independence. It afforded great amusement ; and as the editor's box was suspended close to the stanchions of the after- hatchway, it used to receive general contributions. It was issued every Saturday evening, and two sheets of foolscap, ruled in columns, were regularly filled with close small writing. It had its advertisements, its city and foreign intelligence, its leader, state of mar- kets and stocks, police and law reports, fashionable news, literary notices, original essays, poets' corner, correspondence, &c. &c., and I look upon some of the essays as worthy of being characterised in print. Independent of literary labour for the " Traveller," I persevered in maintaining a daily journal ; but the monotony of the voyage was nearly unbroken. We were weeks on end without encountering a living crea- ture, either in the air above us or in the water below. NIGHT PHENOMENA. 27 One fine Sunday afternoon, when we were thou- sands of miles from land, a solitary fly of the blue- bottle species made its appearance on the poop, buzzing in the ^sunshine. It is impossible to tell where the wanderer came from, and its position seemed so exactly to correspond with my own, that I could not but entertain a lively interest in its welfare. Some of the night phenomena used to arrest my admiration when I was not too cold or too sleepy to attend to them ; the brilliancy of the stars, and the phosphorescent sparkling of the waters, when occasionally the ship would appear to be ploughing her way through molten silver, would at times tend to dispel sleep ; and I have seen two or three rain- bows simultaneously reflected in the concave vault above us, from the hueless rays of the moon and sparkling stars ; but there was one phenomenon that attracted my attention fully as much as either of the others, and this was an octagon-shaped construction provided with lattice work, and resembling a pigeon- house, which was shipped on the capstan head. Man is a carnivorous animal : this being admitted, it will also be allowed that hunger has been known to break through stone walls ; biscuit and duff did not tend at all times to allay the cravings of my nature, and this octagonal construction was the steward's safe. Often had I beheld the remnants of other fare enter its recesses ; and as the concatenation of sympathies has often been dwelt upon by philosophic writers, my bowels yearned to scrape better ac- quaintance with them. But how was this to be achieved "nusquam tuta fides?" Two soldiers with 28 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. drawn cutlasses were always stationed on the quarter deck, and the officer from the poop could overlook it ; but the door of this safe was secured by a brass pad- lock, bearing a wonderful resemblance to the one that fastened my carpet bag ; and when the wolf was grumbling in my viscera during the little hours of the night, I perambulated to and fro till I seized the auspicious moment to essay the key. The wards flew back and the lock was in my hand I took a turn no eye was upon me : the door opened, and I had a fowl in my grasp, 'twas not the work of a second to tear it in two; and again the door was closed, and I was renewing my tramp. With similar precaution I contrived to replace the padlock ; and no schoolboy ever exulted more over a handful of apples purloined from a neighbouring orchard, than I did over my prize. Stolen fruit, they say, is the sweetest: let also the vacuum in my abdominal region be taken into consideration. It was not my watch that followed this raid; but curiosity to see how the cuddy steward would take his discovery induced me to be on the alert. With his usual bustling and im- portant air, he rattled away at the lock, and cast the door wide open on its hinges; but soon his tallow face displayed a look of the most ludicrous horror; his head moved slowly from side to side, but it brought him no relief; he examined the lock, but that was all right. At last, persuaded there was no altering matters, he commenced his preparations, and I re- turned to my bunk with redoubled gratification. I waited a day or two before renewing my attack, and then a couple of cold sausages fell into my clutch; STEWARD'S BEWILDERMENT. 29 and on another occasion a handful of twice-laid rewarded my exertions. Alas for the stultified steward ! the marks of fingers were too palpable to admit of doubts, and the only resource at his command was to cheat himself into the belief that he had been helping himself when drunk. If he had not himself been the custodian of the key, and slept with his breeches stowed as a pillow beneath his head, he might have fancied that some one had picked his pocket ; but now the mystery was insoluble, and the irregularity of the depredations only added to his unaccountable amazement. But I assisted in finding a clue to guide his ideas, which doubtless afforded him great relief. Frequently, in the dog-watches, the sailors would resort for pastime to spin- ning yarns. Ghost stories were a very favourite theme; and our berth, with its sickly unhallowed- looking light, was admirably adapted for the relation of such narratives. The boatswain had a whole budget of apparitions, death warnings, and spiritual tokens from friends far distant; " Sails" could talk of the spirit that visited Brutus; and "Chips" could quote Hamlet, Banquo, and the sheeted ghosts of those who shook the guilty soul of Richard III. I always had an " olla podrida " of ghosts and spectres ready for any occasion, and whenever I saw the steward's cadaverous face peering amongst the listeners, I never failed to launch out with the wildest horrors, till his black hair would bristle behind his ears like the back of an incensed hedgehog. I made particular allusion to bogles and brownies, kempies and water sprites ; and when his superstitious fears 30 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. were by these means duly prepared to listen to the recital without exciting his suspicions, I would tell of milk-pans being capsized, bread soiled, cheese stolen, black puddings ripped up, and other cantrips equally astounding ; and then, before the steward had any chance of betraying his own individual experience, I would set up a horse laugh, and ridicule the whole as a parcel of nonsense: so the steward kept his secret, and I preserved mine. But he, poor fellow, had lost the pride of office ; his pomp had considerably abated; and I have seen his bunch of keys involun- tarily jingle as he proceeded, with nervous trepidation, to inspect his safe. I was careful, notwithstanding, to keep my visits within discretionary bounds, and when he was laid up for four or five days, the result, per- haps, of having to bear the weight of so responsible a secret in silence, I abstained altogether ; for his locum tenens, the oldest 'prentice, a strapping long-gutted youngster, was capable of putting out of sight the ghost's share of the scraps as well as his own ; more- over, he was an astute young shaver, and might have demurred at any spiritual intrusion on his corporeal perquisites. The steward would leer at him as he lay in his berth, his lack-lustre eyes wearing about as lively an expression as those in the head of a dead cod; but the boy made no complaints, and turning on his side with a dolorous sigh, he dared not venture any leading inquiries. " Misery makes a man acquainted with strange bedfellows," and I can vouch for it that the old saying holds good with those that travel under peculiar cir- cumstances. One point I had established for myself A SECOND TOM TUCKER. 31 was, that I would keep no dog-watch ; and the four hours, allotted by two hour spells, to break and change the regular watch, I devoted to " all fours," singing, spinning yarns, and similar instructive and entertain- ing pursuits; but sometimes, when I was in the middle of a song, and in the very height of a demi- semiquaver, the captain would send his steward down with his compliments (ironically) and a request that I wouldn't make quite so much noise. "Give my compliments," I would reply, "and tell him 1 regret he has got such a bad ear for music." Independent of the ship's steward and cuddy steward, the captain had his private steward, a fellow black as a coal. Jemmy was a native of Lombock : his hair stood on end like the bristles of a surprised boar, and he had remarkably elongated jaws, flattened at the sides, but a much finer ear for melody than his master, for he used to say to me, " I say, misser, I wis' you sing me 'at song ; 'pose you sing me 'at song, I make you nice 'ittle loaffee." " What song, you nigger ? " Hereupon Jem would screw up his mouth till it resembled the stem of a hen when scudding before the wind, and jerk out a whistle resembling the tune in agony of the song he wished to hear. " There, that'll do, Jem; no gammon about the loaf then ; hot, you know, with a dab of butter ? " " 'Es, 'es, no you see afore ? " " Well, then, here goes : " and behold the scion of an illustrious house, the godson of the late Duke ot Kent, the father of the present Queen of England, singing to an unreclaimed nigger, like little Tom 32 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Tucker, for white bread and butter. Let those who despise my philosophy do better with their own. I prefer the laughing to the weeping sect, and epicurean comforts to ascetic privations. Our captain proved a stern say-nothing-to-me sort of fellow. He was a man of middling stature, rather spare than otherwise, with a complexion burnt by frequent visits to tropical regions, dark as a red Indian's ; his mouth was drawn slightly on one side ; he rarely smiled, and although not a man of colloquial habits, generally contrived to pass a few words to me every day, for he rarely by any chance came on the poop, when I was there, without saying "Mr. , I'll trouble you for a small pull at the royal brace ; " and as he hauled in the slack whilst I pulled, I ac- quired in time a knowledge of the rope. He was sub- ject occasionally to fits of the gravel and brandy- and- Avater, and when under the influence of the latter, was more sparing of his words than ever ; but he would purse his lower lip, and look awfully savage. At these times, if any of his young gentlemen offended him (for there were eight or nine aspirants being in- structed in the art of greasing masts, blacking yards, tarring rigging, boiling pitch, making sinnett, and other branches of the noble profession of seaman- ship) ; he would watch till he caught the eye of the offender, and then with a crook of the forefinger beckon the luckless wight to him : " I say, young fellow, you had better take care, or I'll show you the pictures," would slowly issue from his tightly com- pressed teeth ; and as this was a threat but seldom used, and rarely repeated to the same individual, it TRISTAN DE CUNHA. 33 produced a very powerful effect ; but as it may puzzle the uninitiated to discover the hidden charm contained in these words, I will endeavour to explain the abracadabra. In one of his voyages to China, the captain had caused his private cabin to be hung with certain Chinese paintings of the human figure in puris naturalilus ; and as he used to introduce his young gentlemen to this cabin, when about to inflict corporeal punishment, perhaps he had it decorated after the style of nature, by way of dispelling scruples of delicacy that might stand in the way of unbutton- ing ; perhaps also he was influenced by the broad principle of justice, for as he caused them to expose their nether ends, he might have considered it only fair that they should see at least the effigy of some- body else's ; but they not only saw, they also felt, and, on retiring from the interview, were fully persuaded of the triteness of the saying, "that seeing's believing, but feeling's the naked truth." The first blubbering neophyte who had made practical acquaintance with the fact, on drying his tears, commenced talking about the pictures ; his remarks reached the captain's ears, and hence arose his pithy threat of exhibiting the pictures. The only land we sighted on the voyage before reaching the continent of Australia was the Cape de Yerde Islands and Tristan de Cunha ; we were about . ten leagues from the former, and they merely wore the appearance of rocky cliffs. It was three o'clock in the morning as we passed Tristan de Cunha ; the island rises like a broad-based cone from the Avaters, and the moon, which was shining brilliantly, silvered VOL. I. D 34 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the indenting ridges which diverged from the summit, as if they had been ploughed by streams of burning lava. It is of no extent, and when at eight o'clock I resumed my watch on deck, it could only be faintly discerned like a haycock on the line of sight. I ought to have noticed that, when close to the island, the " look-out " forward shouted, " Bocks ahead." The helm was promptly shifted, and the vessel sheered alongside the lifeless carcass of a monstrous whale ; I groaned in spirit with " long Tom Coffin," regretting that I had not this basis of a working capital snugly secured in some safe harbour in Britain. I had little opportunity of knowing anything about the ship's daily position, or the courses steered. Some- times I would pass the word when sights were being taken for the chronometer ; and at noon I could not escape seeing the fry of sucking navigators intently peering in one direction with triangular-shaped in- struments brought parallel with their noses ; but what it all meant I knew not, neither did I care to inquire; nor did I see a chart from the time we quitted England till we reached Sydney. I knew that we were very far south when we rounded the Cape of Good Hope, for it was bitterly cold, and we encountered a very severe gale when in its longitude, with the heaviest rolling sea I ever experienced ; but I was disappointed in the sublimity of the scene. I had read of boundless seas, waves rolling mountains high, and similar expressions calculated to inspire awe and dread ; but I cannot say that my notions of stupendous grandeur were realised : the visual horizon is too close upon you, you lose the idea of boundless GALE AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 35 space, and the waves never rise above fifteen or twenty feet, (quite high enough if any of them should happen to break on board you). If they met with obstacles opposing resistance, foam might be dashed to the height of sixty feet, or even higher, and spray might be carried to the height of three or four hundred feet ; but as for vessels riding upon the tops of mountains, seething billows rising in over- whelming masses above the topmast head ; all I can say is, I never witnessed any thing of the kind : instead of being alarmed at the mad howling of the blast, it had, on the contrary, quite an exhilarating effect. But it is not between decks where one would enjoy this sensation, particularly if it was your watch below and you felt disposed to sleep ; it is scarcely possible to conceive a more helpless or un- comfortable situation than to be embowelled in a vessel, kicking and plunging like a race-horse in traces. Your body, without any volition of your own, is first rolled to one side, then to the other ; now you are almost perpendicular, anon you will be standing on your head. You bend your knees and form an acute triangle with your body to try and fix yourself, but you get the skin chafed off at the holding points the crupper-bone and knees and desist in despair. You stretch yourself to the fullest extent, making your head and heels the hold- fasts, at the imminent risk of becoming bald. A de- ceptive lull takes place, you relax your extensors for a single moment, and the next sees you sprawling upon the deck, with enfranchised chests, mess-kids, tin plates, pots, and all the miscellaneous rubbish D 2 36 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. usually to be met with on board ship, all bent on performing an Irish jig. In the gale off the Cape the courses or lower sails were hauled up, and we were under close reefed topsails, scudding before it. Four men were stationed at the helm, two at the wheel, and two at relieving tackles ; the weather helmsman, whose movements guided the others, kept glancing over bis shoulder, eyeing the seas that ap- peared ready to leap on board. At last in his nervous- ness he gave a sudden jerk to the helm ; his mates seconded the impetus, and brought about the very consequences he tried to shun. The vessel broached to, the starboard quarter gallery was carried away, the cabin passengers were washed out of their berths, sea after sea broke over us ; confusion and dismay reigned paramount; the mate lost his presence of mind, and I expected we should have all gone to the bottom. The men were shouting and swearing, the ladies were shrieking, a couple of 'prentices and myself were struggling to gain footing, for a heavy green sea of many tons weight had broken over the quarter-deck, which knocked us down, and continued washing us to and fro, till I secured a grip of the capstan. Presently the captain rushed out in his nightcap and drawers ('twas past ten P. M). Without evincing more than ordinary concern, he gave a few short orders, clear and distinct, which were attended to by those who best understood them, whilst I maintained my loving embrace of the capstan. Pre- sently discipline was restored, and the vessel was again staggering before the gale. The sea that broke over the weather bulwarks in a green mass, THE COOK'S GALLEY AS A NIGHT-STATION. 37 carried the small mite of a 'prentice away in'the body of it like a scarecrow, arms and legs extended. " Look out, Jack ! " was the cry choked in my throat by the rushing of many waters ; but Jack had no need of admonition, for when the turmoil was over, I ob- served him quietly dropping from the main rigging. The greatest infliction I had to suffer was the raw, cold damp of the night-watches. I was always among the first to relieve the watch when summoned, always excepting the dog-watch ; but it was none the less a hardship. At length I noticed, that, as soon as the wheel had been relieved, and the "look-out" forward stationed, the rest of the crew disappeared. This set me exploring, like another Captain Cook ; and I found the gentlemen stowed around the cook's galley. Be- neath the top gallant forecastle, one of the standing orders was, that all fires should be extinguished at eight o'clock P. M. ; and to all appearance, when the officer of the watch went his rounds, they were so ; but he had no sooner resumed his pacing on the poop, when, by removing a layer of ashes, some dull red embers could be detected, which these gentry were in the habit of coaxing, till they imparted a trifle of warmth. The place itself also considerably ameliorated the marrow-searching influence of the chilling blasts, and speedily did I proceed to take advantage of the asylum thus thrown open to my research ; but I found every avenue blocked up with knees, "Who the devil's that ?" growled a voice from be- hind sundry folds of worsted comforter, immersed in the depths of a monkey jacket, like the stifled tones of a bear undergoing suffocation. P 3 38 ROVESTGS IN THE PACIFIC. " Come, just make a little room, can't you ? " " Hulloah ! who's that ? You don't belong here : we don't want no gentlemen poop-rangers here." "What's that you're jawing about, you infernal growl? You call yourself a seaman, I suppose. Pretty seaman truly, to be skulking here, and claiming the exclusive right to do so. It's well you know that I'm not in my place, that I never came on board as a sea- man, and was never intended for one ; but if I had been, I would have scorned to have shirked my duty, no matter what the weather might be." " Oh, it's you, mister, is it ? Didn't know it was you. I say, Bill, its Mr. ; just shove up a little." "Ah, that'll do." Then into the mass I squeezed, and a portion of the caloric from the bodies around me soon communicated warmth to my starved frame, but at the expense of blackened face and hands, which might have procured for me claims to kindred with a sweep. The custom of performing matutinal ablutions was one of the habits of my life I could not dispense with, much to the annoyance of Chips, who used to survey me at times with feelings of great internal disgust ; but the measure of his forbearance having at length overflowed, he commenced rating me, in no measured terms, for wasting the water, and felt par- ticularly scandalised at the effeminate habit I had of scrubbing my teeth. "Why you snarling plate- scraping cur ! " (Chips was supplied daily with a plate of omnium gatherum from the cuddy) ; "must you be eternally curling your lip ? Haven't you enough water A GROWL WITH "CHIPS." 39 for all your wants ; and because you have the oppor- tunity of polishing your teeth on cuddy scraps every day, is that a reason why I shouldn't put mine in order against the time they meet with anything to amuse themselves upon ? You're worse than the dog in the manger, for he did make his bed upon the hay; but you neither require water for yourself nor wish to see any body else use it," A few more angry words passed, and Chips, finding himself getting the worst in the oratory of abuse, snatched up his hand- tool box, and went away growling, as he retreated, like distant thunder. But I didn't let all the attempts at imposition go scot free, for, having acquired the fearful bellow used in summoning the watch, I would be on the qui viue, and the very instant eight bells struck would dart below, and, insinuating myself beneath the hammocks of those who had an- noyed me, gradually force them asunder to the fullest stretch, and by stooping suddenly, let them come to- gether with a crash, making good my retreat to the hatchway ladder ; and whilst the two aroused occu- pants of the swinging canvass were cursing and swearing, and all but coming to fisticuffs, I would give the preliminary stamps, and set up a yell, enough to wake the seven sleepers, diverting the attention of the drowsy wranglers to wonder "who it was that was calling the watch ? I wish to Gr some- body would call the watch as know'd how to call it." " What's that, grumblers ? I suppose you want a piping bullfinch to call you. But it won't do, my pippins; out you must. You never hear me complain ; r> 4 40 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. but you, who pretend to know your duty, are like bears with sore heads, when called upon to attend to it." "We didn't know it was you. What sort of weather is it, mister ? " " Blowing and raining like bricks ! " I would say, pretending to shake the wet from my monkey jacket. " I never see such cursed luck as we gets in our watch." "Well, that's nothing to me, but I wish you'd show a leg, for whilst you're jawing, our watch is waiting." Thus, by assuming a tone of roughness and manners somewhat assimilating to their own, I tamed these bears to the docility of led apes. Instead of going to the southward of Van Diemen's Land, we took Bass's Strait, which divides it from the continent of Australia.* The wind appears to blow through this strait as if it was blowing through a tunnel : aided by the current, we scudded through it under double reefed topsails at the rate of fourteen or fifteen knots. We dashed past several small rocky islands, and hugged Wilson's Promontory, the most austral point of Australia, so close, that we could dis- tinguish a few naked objects with spears in their hands upon the beach, furnishing me with my first glimpse of savage life. * I have called Australia a continent from its being a vast tract of country, the islets and shoals in Bass's Strait forming its connecting link with Van Diemen's Land, and the innume- rable reefs and shoals in Torres Straits connecting it with the large but little known island_of New Guinea and the islands in the Banda Sea. 41 CHAP. HI. Sydney Harbour. Involuntary Acquaintance with the TVater, before making that of the Land. Not quite friendless. The Town of Sydney. Botany Bay. " Brickfielders." Birds and Beasts. Hunters' River. Newcastle. The Country. River Paterson. Deadly Instances of the Venom of Snakes. A Ride after wild Cattle. The Country talked of. Corn Stalks. Illawara. Notices of the Aborigines. "The world is with me, and its many cares, Its woes its wants the anxious hopes and fears That wait on all terrestrial affairs The shades of former and of future vears." July VI tli. IT was midnight when we entered the Heads of Port Jackson, and after our long sojourn upon the waters, it appeared almost as if we were entering the gates of Paradise ; the moon, which was riding high in the heavens, imparting by its effulgent brightness a fairy-like charm to the scene. A pilot came alongside us in his boat, and to meet with and hear the voices of our countrymen at this distance from home, produced upon me a strange and startling effect, although I knew the country had been made the recipient of our outcasts for half a century. The harbour is a magnificent one : at the mouth of it the cliffs on either side, called the " Heads," rise like a wall several hundred feet high ; a lighthouse is built on a salient point of the South Head, which 42 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. may be distinguished in clear weather from eleven to twelve leagues at sea. The harbour is not only spa- cious, but completely sheltered ; it runs inland nine or ten miles, indenting the coast on either side, forming numerous romantic bays and coves, in all of which there is depth of water for shipping of any tonnage ; several smaller islands are grouped about, which add to its safety and picturesque beauty. Although it was the depth of winter, the air was mild and balmy ; and so placid was the deep as we glided over its silvery ripples, I could fancy we were taking a moon- light cruise on "Westmoreland's lovely lake Winder- mere, nor did I quit the deck till the anchor was let go in Sydney Cove. With daylight much of the enchantment vanished, as there is a duskiness and want of verdure in the appearance of the shores, which impresses you with notions of drought and sterility. The town, viewed from the water, wears a paltry aspect ; and the residence of the governor of the colony, in a park-like inclosure just without the bustle of the town, is a mean, low building, possessing as much architectural grace as that usually displayed in the elevation of a barn. July V&ih. The day on which I entered the world, and very nearly proving that on which I quitted it ; for the boatswain, to do his messmate due honour, would rig out the jolly-boat after his own pet fashion to set me ashore : the third mate accom- panied us. We had scarcely got from the vessel, when the ha'lyards parted ; the mate volunteered to reeve them afresh, and commenced climbing the taunt and taper mast. " Do you want to capsize the AN UPSET. 43 boat ? Come down !" shouted I; but I might as well have hailed the mast itself. Up he went, and over went the boat ; but as it gradually keeled over, I turned with it and remained astride. Neither the boatswain nor myself could swim, but the mate was very expert in the water, less excuse for him ; as, instead of dropping from the mast, when, by the pre- ponderating influence of his unmerciful stern, he had brought it to nearly a horizontal position, he clung to it with the tenacity of the bear to the bough of the tree, when Robinson Crusoe's man^ Friday taught it to dance; he disappeared for some time, and when he emerged, his face was blue, and he puffed like a distressed walrus. Our position was by no means enviable : the boat had settled con- siderably below the surface of the water, and there was any quantity of that unstable element between us and the shore. " Can you swim, boatswain ? " " No," said he, " but there's no fear, she's got floating ballast in her. Well ! well ! well ! " he continued, snapping his fingers, "I never see such a foolish thing in all my life. 'Tut ! tut ! tut ! catch me going ashore again ! " " We'll have to get there first," replied I ; " but see, here come the boats." The accident had been noticed from several vessels, and boats were immediately despatched to our assist- ance. One of our own boats arrived first to the rescue, and the rowers plied their oars with such vi- gour, that they were nearly spitting me with the bow. " Have a care ! do you want to run me down ? " and, notwithstanding they backed water, an instan- taneous movement, I had to throw myself from my 44 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. position as the boat glided over it ; and to this day I entertain a very lively gratitude to the floating ballast ; or who knows, " Cassar's dust may have stopped a bung-hole," and mine in the shape of fish might have entered the bodies of those who afterwards formed a different kind of acquaintance with me. The boat- swain kept his word ; he never again went on shore during the ship's stay in the harbour. Fortunately for me, I did not find myself quite so lonely as I expected : a gentleman I had known in England was almost one of the first persons I met with after landing ; he immediately interested him- self in my welfare, and as I held a letter of credit from the same kind friend who had wanted to pay for my passage, empowering me to draw upon him for any amount to suit my immediate necessities, I drew for a small sum, and this gentleman cashed the draft for me : he also introduced me to the partners of a commercial house, and in a few days I accepted an appointment in their establishment. Here I remained some seven or eight months, and then removed to a more eligible situation for ac- quiring a knowledge of the monetary transactions of the colony. Sydney is in every respect so completely English, that having made up one's mind to become a foreigner, you are rather surprised to discover that you have travelled so many thousands of miles to no purpose ; for it requires a considerable effort, if you happen to land at the season of my arrival, to believe you are out of the mother country. The houses are well built, and the streets laid out in the English style, BOTANY BAY. 45 the noise and bustle being equal to those of a third- rate town in England ; the only peculiarity that obtruded itself on my notice was, that the houses were roofed witfr wooden shingles, instead of tiles or slates. The colonial government has secured to the public a beautiful retreat, called the "domain," in close vicinity to the town ; it occupies one of the woodland points that, jutting into the bay, gives birth to its numerous romantic coves. Winding paths and good carriao-e roads lead in all directions through the trees O o and underwood, affording refreshing cool retreats from the heats of summer. There is a part appro- priated to botanical gardens, laid out with much skill and elegance : they abound with rare shrubs, flowers, fruits, &c. ; and respectably dressed persons are allowed to promenade there, within the limits of certain hours, throughout the year. The trees of the country offer a striking contrast to any that grow in England ; they, generally speak- ing, attain an amazing height, with wide-spread- ing limbs, twisting their gnarled, half-naked forms, nearly to their summits : they preserve their foliage throughout the year ; nevertheless, they cannot be called evergreens, for their livery approaches more to a russet brown. There is a great sameness in their appearance, and all are very thinly clad. There are many and beautiful varieties of the heath plant, but the wild flowers and shrubs of the country are void of fragrance. Botany Bay, that name which used to sound so terrible to my childhood, may be reached from Sydney 46 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. by a road extending five or six miles over an arid, deep white sandy district, incapable of producing any vegetation, saving spear grass and stunted specimens of wiry heath. The harbour is beautiful, and presents a bold sweep ; but the water shoals suddenly, and it is unsafe for shipping, as it lies directly open to the south-east wind : there are one or two houses there, the retired residences of emanci- pists, or freed convicts. Botany Bay was, I suppose, a term colloquially used for all New South Wales, as no convicts were ever sent literally to Botany Bay, no available land existing in its immediate vicinity that would employ the labour of the sen- tenced. There is a great monotony in all the scenery in New South Wales ; in some parts the soil is of great depth, and it teems abundantly ; but in dry seasons, from this very depth of soil, the crops are burnt up. The climate is delightful in winter ; but in summer, a species of sirocco frequently prevails, rendering the atmosphere exceedingly oppressive and difficult of respiration ; and it invariably follows that even whilst this hot wind is blowing, and you feel scarcely able to drag your relaxed frame along, without a moment's warning it will chop round, and blow with a fury so cold and piercing, that your very marrow seems penetrated ; shortly after the air re- sumes its wonted temperature. The hot winds are known by the name of " northers," and when the transition takes place, they are called " brickfielders," from their carrying with them clouds of smothering dust, particularly vast volumes of a red colour, de- structive to clothing, from a hill called Brickfield-hill, " BRICKFIELDERS." 47 enveloping all Sydney ; and now, to whatever part of the continent you go, " brickfielder " is the common name by which this wind is known ; and so I dare say it will continue to be called, till the cause of it shall have ceased to exist, and why it was so termed shall have passed from the memory of man. "When these hot winds are of long continuance, they commit frightful havoc ; in the November of my arrival, towards evening, the air became more than usually oppressive, from its great rarefaction ; gusts of heated wind would come at intervals like blasts from a furnace, which prevailed all the next day less intermittingly ; the bush surrounding the town, and on either side the shore, was on fire, as we could distinguish for miles around from the volumes of smoke it cast up. As evening again closed in, the advance of the destructive elementwas more apparent; red flames waved their forked tongues above the tops of trees, and bronzed clouds of smoke rolled gloomily on ; the scorching blast grew worse, and so powerful withal, that a person in an exposed situation could scarcely maintain his footing : it was a curious sensation to feel the rushing breeze, and instead of coolness, an almost stifling heat. The township of Sydney is on the south side of the harbour : on the north shore was the residence of a widow lady, in the heart of the bush, and directly opposed to the course of the burning forest ; the consuming wind bore immediately over the house, and nothing in human power could save it from destruction. I walked to the water's edge with many others, who were anxiously waiting the issue ; boats had put off to receive the 48 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. inmates, when hope was extinguished; the sea was most violently agitated, and the spray dashed in our faces as we clung to the posts on the wharf. In another minute the work of destruction would have been complete, when the wind shifted, with the speed of lightning, and it blew from the south-west a perfect drift, curdling our veins with its icy blast. It was indeed miraculous ; the overwhelming flames, driven back, were forced to expend their fury on the already scathed and blackened trunks ; nothing but this providential interposition could have averted the ruin of the widow's abode. About ten o'clock, when the darkness of night was complete, I strolled out to witness the effect of the conflagration. It was a grand and imposing spectacle. Where the rising ground had been covered with scrub or stunted bush, it had the appearance of a vast illumined city. In other directions, the low shrubs presented a glowing deep red appearance, while the lofty trees sent forth sheets of yellow flame from their summits ; the whole being o'ercanopied with a dense lurid pall of smoke. Many cattle were burnt alive, much property was consumed in the interior, and some lives were lost. I was told by some teamsters, that they had to cut the bullock traces, and abandon their teams, laden with wool, to save themselves ; the branches of the forest trees, owing to their intense aridity, having caught fire from their own abrasion. No country probably can boast greater variety in specimens of ornithology, or of birds possessing more beautiful plumage; the forest wilds ring with the most peculiar cries, and the variety of the parrot RIVER PATERSON. 49 species far exceeds anything I had formed any idea of; snakes, opossums, flying foxes, flying squirrels, kangaroos, iguanas, bandicoots, wild cats and native dogs, the latter resembling our English fox, are all inmates of the bush, but there is no ferocious quad- ruped to be met with inimical to the life of man. But the most curious of all the animals I met with in Xew South Wales is the platypus ( Ornithorhyncus paradozus}, which possesses the mandible and webbed feet of a duck, and a body like that of a fur seal. It burrows in the banks of rivers, but I know little else of its habits or history. Being invited to pass a few weeks with some friends up the Paterson River, situated to the northward of Sydney, I entered a steamer, and enjoyed a pleasant trip. You enter the river Hunter, off the mouth of which there is a dangerous reef, terminated by a bluff rock, called Xobby's ; the township of this port has re- ceived the name of Newcastle, derived from its sup- plying the country with coal, like its prototype in England. The aspect of the place is not inviting, the beach being a barren waste of sand hills. The river is a pretty sheet of water, but continues salt for thirty or forty miles, when it branches, forming the Williams and Paterson rivers. It was harvest time, and the banks being in many parts highly cultivated, hundreds of acres teeming with rich yellow wheat, I was re- minded of old England. Still the eccentricities of a new country betrayed themselves. Beside a patch of corn a maze of forest trees would entangle their white glancing spectral limbs. In one place, land just broken up ; in another a green crop advancing ; and VOL. I. E 50 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. again, you would see a spot under process of clearing, with trees just felled, and stumps yet smoking. The steamer moored at a place called the Green Hills, why, I can't say, as it certainly does not possess a very verdant appearance ; and the name, since the erection of a few houses, appears to be giving way to that of Morpeth. The country in many parts betokens richness of soil, but there is nothing of the picturesque in the neighbourhood to tempt the wanderer. I passed the night at Morpeth, and the next morning my young friend called to escort me to his new resi- dence. We struck across the country, country in that sense when it is said, " God made the country, and man made the town," as, with the exception of a rude fence here and there, indicating the boundaries of different properties, it was country in its primeval state. I was delighted with the excursion. Thousands of parrots mingled their chatterings overhead with the silvery tinkling notes of the bell bird, the smack- ing of the coachman's whip, the wild shriek of the laughing jackass, and the ever-varying cry of the mocking bird ; and every lagoon, or marshy swamp, would send forth its squadron of ducks at our ap- proach, to wing a rapid flight of eddying circles. By a cicuitous route we arrived at Bona Vista, a plea- santly situated farm on the banks of the Paterson. The land of this district is in many parts well and extensively cultivated, the soil is extremely rich, and the river, winding between high verdant banks, is fresh and sweet. Whilst on this visit, I was fear- fully convinced of the deadly venom of the reptile tribe. The proprietor of the estate, observing a small DEADLY INSTANCES OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 51 yellow snake glide under some sawn timber, called his men to remove it, that it might be killed ; as they were lifting the logs, the snake darted between the legs of one of the men, and brushed him in passing. " Oh ! my God ! " cried he, what a narrow escape I've had ! I declare it touched me with its tail." The snake was killed, and the men returned to their work, the proprietor remarking to me, as we turned away, "If it had bitten any one, the bite would have caused instant death; " and he related several instances that had fallen under his own knowledge where death had followed the stroke of the reptile's fangs. I listened with all respect to his recital, but scarcely deemed it possible that the insignificant little object lying stretched before me could subdue to the earth the bulky frame of a powerful man. But too soon was I to receive an awful demonstration of the truth of his assertions. I had walked as far as the town- ship, and had been absent half an hour, when on my return I was met by a party bearing the startling intelligence that the man who cried out he had been touched by the snake's tail was dead. Scarcely crediting the report, I hastened to the hut, but there he lay, green and festering; for strange as it may appear, decomposition had already commenced, and a fetid foam was issuing from his mouth. Two minute punctures on the poor fellow's skin were the only marks discernible. It appears that about five minutes after he had been struck, he complained of feeling faint and sick, and his mate was only in time to save him from falling : he struggled convulsively a minute or two, and then a lifeless clod was all E 2 52 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. that was left of the stoutest and apparently the healthiest man on the farm. The medical man who was sent for cautioned me against too curious an investigation of the body. That same evening, on his return home, his dog happening to disturb another snake, was struck by it on the nose, and thereby received instantaneous death ; as the doctor assured us, it turned on its side, and scarcely uttered a cry. The cast skin of the snake that destroyed the farm labourer was discovered near the spot, where it sought concealment ; and I was informed by those acquainted with the natural history of these reptiles, that immediately after shedding their skins, they are more than usually irritable and venomous. Whilst upon this subject, I may mention a narrow escape I had myself. The whip snake, so called from its tenuity, is one of the deadliest of all the viperous race ; and one day, as I was in pursuit of ornithological specimens, I espied, pendant from the twig of a wattle, the globular nest of the diamond bird : desirous to possess myself of it, I climbed the tree, and wishing to preserve the branch, jerked it towards me in breaking it off, when a whip snake darting from the recess of the nest struck me in the bosom, and passing between my waistcoat and shirt rebounded to the ground. I threw myself upon it before it could escape, and stamped it in pieces with the heel of my boot, notwithstanding which a portion about four inches long, with the head attached, con- trived to Avork its way into a hole. The vitality of the dismembered parts was such, that, though crushed into more than fifty pieces, every portion was instinct A RIDE AFTER WILD CATTLE. 53 with life and motion. On examining the nest, I found nothing but the skeleton frames of the parent bird and its callow young. Knowing the danger I had escaped, after the event was over I broke into a glowing perspiration, as if I had just emerged from a hot bath. Determined to see as much of the country and a country life as I could whilst I had the opportunity, I rose one morning at 3 o'clock to join a party in pursuit of young horses, running wild in the bush. We crossed over the mountainous ridges of a district called Munnibung, or some such euphonious name, and shortly after six arrived at Dungog. Here we found a whole herd of horses collected in a stock- yard. Separating those we required, and loosing an old mare, mother to some of the colts, we proceeded to run them home futile attempt ; headlong they dashed into the brush, and helter-skelter, in regular break-neck style, we galloped after them. Being the best mounted, I contrived to head and turn them once or twice, but it was only making bad worse ; as, instead of taking the direction we wished, they rushed through the thickest part of the dense underwood, and made a playful ascent up the steepest ridges. I made a last effort to get them on the right track, and, wretched horseman though I was, screwed my courage to the sticking-place, and gave chase as hard as the noble brute could lay hoof to ground. Away we went, tearing and dashing through trees and under- wood, flying over fallen trunks, clearing streams, up hill and down gully, boughs crashing as we passed along, dry branches and limbs cracking and snapping E 3 54 COVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. beneath our feet : away went my hat, as my spirited hunter took a flying leap over an immense windfall ; 'twas useless to attempt checking his career ; his blood was up, and mine was racing rather rapidly through my veins ; so on we went with the speed of a whirlwind. The bush was now so thick I could not see before us; the horse had its own way, and I expected every moment to be swept from the saddle by some protruding bough. Suddenly down we went, man and horse. We had come unawares to the edge of a considerable declivity, and the horse, unable to recover himself, went headlong over ; for- tunately I flew out of the saddle a long way ahead of him, or I should have been dashed or kicked to pieces. At the bottom of the ravine I had the presence of mind to scramble out of the way of my nag, and experienced little inconvenience from the tumble. This terminated our endeavours. With unabated speed and vigour we saw the colts take to the highest ranges, and continue their wild course till out of sight. To an inexperienced horseman stock-hunting is dangerous work: many accidents occur, and sometimes the best of riders and most experienced stockmen lose their lives. Horses that are accustomed to run in wild cattle betray great sagacity ; they seldom require the guidance of the rein, will double trees like a hare, and take the shortest cuts to intercept the retreat of the flying herd. Hence it will be seen that the pursuit requires a rider of no little practice and address. In various excursions which I made the features of the country appeared pretty much the same, some parts DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 55 being open, flat, and marshy, others hilly and thickly wooded. It is astonishing how little variety prevails in the appearance of the trees of the forest; the same meagreness of foliage, with the same dusky hue, is the characteristic everywhere. The more common way of distinguishing the trees in this part of the world is by their barks and gums: take some of their names ; for instance, iron bark, stringy bark, black butt, blue gum, white gum, red gum, &c., the foliage of these being nearly all alike. There are vast plains of grassy country three or four hundred miles in the interior, far beyond the boundary of my travels, where immense herds of sheep and cattle are depastured ; any person, by paying a small sum to government, may take out a squatter's licence to proceed beyond certain boundaries, where he may locate in any extent of unoccupied land. This privilege affording continual change and imposing no limits to stock stations, many of the New South Wales sheep-farmers and cattle -graziers can number their stock by thousands, whilst their progressive movements, as they penetrate inland, tend to extend the limits of the colony and add to her resources. The grand scale on which farming and agricultural establishments are conducted here makes those in the home country appear of a very pigmy character. It is not an unusual thing to find farms of ten and twelve thousand acres ; farms of ten and twelve hundred acres are of ordinary occurrence. The Anglo-Australians genei'ally are a reedy- looking race, precocious in growth, premature in decay ; their heads appear as if forced by artificial B 4 56 EOVINGS IX THE PACIFIC. means from their shoulders, and probably it is from this awkward-looking growth they are denominated "cornstalks." They are loose-built, tall, raw, and gaicgawish in their manners, and are not wanting in conceit of their own superiority. Already you will hear the young cocks crowing about their indepen- dence ; but as they are in utter ignorance of what that is, politically, or how they could maintain it even if they had it, their crowing is as harmless as it is amusing. One of the youngsters, on his return from a visit to England, complained that he couldn't ride five miles in any direction without falling in with houses, and meeting, at every hundred yards, fresh faces ; whereas, such was the freedom of the colony, you might take your horse and pack and travel for hundreds of miles without seeing a house or meeting a human being. I never heard what this young gentleman's notions of political existence were. The district of Illawarra to the southward of Port Jackson is the heaviest-timbered land I have seen in the country, and where it has been cleared the soil is the richest and most fertile. It is not subject to the frequent droughts that affect the country. North- ward of Sydney, it can boast many extensive and highly cultivated farms, and is the finest and most picturesque district I have been in. The aborigines of New South Wales are the ugliest race of beings conceivable ; some monkies I have seen might feel injured by a comparison. Many of them have been demi-civilised, but after a short sojourn with Europeans they invariably resume their old habits, and take to their romantic and precarious mode NOTICES OF THE ABORIGINES. 57 of living. I do not know an instance where one has been regularly domesticated. Their language is as wild and uncouth as they are ; but what is very re- markable, they acquire ours with astonishing facility, and their selection of words is far superior to that of our own common orders. The few wretched beings in and around Sydney are the miserable victims of ardent spirits, and can scarcely be looked upon as fair specimens of their class. Those from tribes in the interior are tall, sinewy, and athletic, their standard height, in my opinion, exceeding that of the English race ; they have no settled abodes, but wander about at the caprice of the moment, their huts (called gunnias) being framed of two or three pieces of bark stripped from the nearest tree. They neither sow nor reap, living upon snakes, opossums, grubs, iguanas, and other inhabitants of the woods and waters. Their dress is merely a kind of belt, or wampum, round the loins ; and for human beings, they are, I imagine, the most approximative to the brute race of any in existence. But few Europeans are acquainted with their rites and ceremonies. I am not aware that they have any belief in a Supreme Being, but I was witness to the superstitious dread they entertain of an evil spirit, which they say haunts them at night ; and they invariably select a spot close to the water for their halting places, as they say the spirit has no power over them in the water. In crossing the coun- try on one occasion, I pointed out a bivouack of these blacks to my companion : " Hold," said he ; " I'll show you some sport." Desiring me to conceal myself, he crawled along on his stomach till he got pretty 58 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. near the encampment, and then set up a low moaning cry. The poor blacks started to their feet, and on the cry being repeated, away they scampered in the utmost bewilderment, nor did they come back during the half hour we waited in expectation of their return. They have worse than brutal customs with respect to their young gins or females, too gross and disgusting to be committed to paper. On a male arriving at the age of manhood, he is hung up by his heels, and the chief, or some other person appointed from the tribe, bites from him one of his front teeth ! The meaning of this ceremony and of the mysteries that follow is not known. Many of the women are deprived of the first joints of their little fingers. I have been told that this is a distinguishing mark amongst the tribes, and is a, favour conferred on those only who are expert in fishing ; but to an European they are all so. Both sexes are excellent swimmers, and the females seem to participate in all the exercises of the males except fighting, which, when two tribes are at variance, is left to the men. Their weapons are simple and rude, consisting of a straight spear, an unwieldy club, a narrow wooden shield, and an instrument called the boomaring : this latter weapon is a curved piece of wood, scraped on either surface to an edge both on the convex and concave side, and its singular evolu- tions, I am told, is a problem that the universities of the United Kingdom have been engaged upon with- out being able to solve. The natives throw it for- ward with terrific force, and if it encounters no object, after whistling through the air for a hundred yards or more, it will take a demivolt, and return NOTICES OF THE ABORIGINES. 59 gyrating to the feet of the thrower. If a dozen boomarings were laid before me, I could not distin- guish any difference between them. But a single glance of the eye will suffice to inform a black as to its qualifications. Unless they are peculiarly made, they will not perform this retrograde movement, but in what this peculiarity consists I could never learn, and the blacks are unable or unwilling to ex- plain. The whole country, so far as it is yet known, is wretchedly supplied by that first of re- quisites, fresh water, the town* of Sydney itself being entirely dependent on a miserable swamp lying between the latter place and Botany Bay, called Black Wattle Swamp ; and since my arrival I have had to pay as much as sixpence a bucket for it. This great and crying want is the greatest drawback to the colony of New South Wales. In seasons of drought thousands of cattle and sheep have perished, drays have been abandoned on the road, and the carriage of provisions and supplies to stations in the interior has cost far more than their original pur- chase. Xo artificial means have been resorted to, or scientific attempts made, to palliate this evil, although it is probable that artesian wells might be sunk at small expence to overcome this great obstacle to the prosperity of the country. The natives, from the scarcity of navigable rivers, have very little use for vessels on the water. Such canoes as I have seen resemble their houses in the primi- * Of late years Sydney has been called a city, and its burghers proceed annually to elect a mayor. 60 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. tive nature of their construction, consisting of nothing more than a sheet of bark turned up at the ends, and fastened with the tough vine of some creeper. The bushy head of a young wattle or gum-tree stuck up in the bows serves as a sail. An amusing incident occurred in the harbour, though by no means looked upon as a joke by the actor at the time : a black fellow, in crossing it in one of these frail barks, entirely of nature's providing, was caught in a heavy westerly squall ; he had no other resource but to run before it. His weight only fairly counterbalanced that of his leafy sail ; he dared not rise for fear of being capsized, and his whole attention was required to the steerage, as the slightest inadvertency would have swamped him. The foam rippled up on either side of him as he sped like an arrow past a ship lying at anchor, her decks crowded with newly-arrived emigrants. "Hulloa, blacky, where are you going?" shouted they. " O-o-o-o-o," muttered the poor fellow, his hair all of a hoo, and his eyes starting out of his head ; "t-o-o-o-o m-o-s-h b-o-o-o-s-h." The native race is but sparsely scattered over the continent. They possess, I believe, a vague idea of a future ex- istence, as they bury with their dead those articles most prized when living. They invariably select high water as the time for burial, asserting that the spirit then gets wafted immediately to the sea at the best time for fishing. I met a party in the bush re- turning with the corpse of an old chief, known, when living, as the King of the Hungry Hills, which they had carried out for interment. On inquiring their motive for coming back, they informed me that before NOTICES OF THE ABORIGINES. 61 they could reach the intended place of sepulture, it was past high water, and consequently they were going to wait till next tide. The difference between D O these savages and us affords an excellent antithesis. We exhaust our ingenuity in contriving means to create fresh wants, and to add to our luxuries, whilst the utmost stretch of their ambition seems to consist in supplying the bare wants of nature in the simplest manner, and with the least conceivable labour. The geographical boundaries of Australia I believe to be tolerably accurately ascertained, but little of its vast interior is known ; the fringe of the continent has been penetrated here and there, and latterly considerable tracts have been coasted by men of indomitable hardihood and courage. Often in my reveries it has struck me that aeronautism might be turned to account by explorers of unknown re- gions, and be the means of saving much unnecessary labour and privation. Surveying parties in want of water or herbage, and in doubt which way to direct their weary steps, if they had a balloon with them and 400 or 500 fathoms of whale line, by securing one end of the line to the balloon, and grappling the other firmly to the earth, might rise to the eleva- tion of 2000 or 3000 feet, and have the country spread out before them like a map, and if provided with in- struments to take bearings might be spared many a day of fruitless toil and suffering. No useful advan- tages that I am aware of have yet been conferred upon society by the discovery of the science of aeronautism. If my idea is practicable, here appears a plan to render it subservient to the good of man. We are 62 ROV1NGS IN THE PACIFIC. enabled to sound the depths of the ocean to the extent of 1000 fathoms or 6000 feet, and whales have frequently been known " to run " out three tubs of whale line, each of 240 fathoms, and I presume that improvements in chemical science might render possible the inflation of a balloon that in its ascent would prove potent as the whale in supporting the weight of the dependent line. I have no knowledge of the subject, and merely venture the suggestion. Verbum sat. 63 CHAP. IV. Off to New Zealand. A Gale. Bream Bay. Bay of Islands. Kororarika. Paihia. River Waitangi. River Kawa- kawa. White's Island. Roadstead of YVarakaihika. Roadstead of Rungatukaia. Abandoned by the Schooner. Overland Trip to Warakaihika. Selfish Conduct of a Chief. A Musical Cargo. Return to the Bay of Islands. Sojourn on one of the Islands. " The wind was fair, the sea was blue, The sky without a speck, As the good ship o'er the waters flew, With King John upon its deck." MY worldly wealth not having much increased after a sojourn of upwards of two years and a half in New South Wales, I determined on proceeding to New Zealand, to try the unexplored resources of a new country, and on February 14th, 1840. I shipped goods and took passage in a small schooner bound to the Bay of Islands. February 27th. Sighted a cluster of islets to the north-west of the North Cape, called the " Three Kings ; " a few natives reside upon these hummocks, as 'we could discern the smoke of their fires in passing. February 29th. A violent gale commenced from the northward, which increased to such a height, that we were compelled to lay to under a balanced-reef- 64 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. mainsail. It seems as if we had sailed into the very centre of its encircling fury, and had no power sub- sequently to escape from it : being deeply laden we were completely drenched with the sea breaking over us, and hail and salt drift drove in our faces with such resistless force, that there was no turning your head to windward. The vessel laboured violently as if she had been subject to the influence of a succession of whirlpools: suddenly the mainsail being blown from the bolt ropes she was cast on her beam ends, and buried with her lee coamings in the water. I thought she was gone: the mate called to the captain to cut before it was too late ; but he very coolly replied, " If she wasn't fit to carry her masts she wasn't fit to float." The hatches and scuttles were well secured by battens, and fortunately nothing started : the vessel, though small, had great beam, and was very stiff, and she gradually righted, the worst of the gale having spent itself; and though it continued all that night and through the greater part of next day its violence had abated. I narrowly escaped being washed overboard in the height of the gale ; for desirous of witnessing the battling of the elements I stripped to my trowsers, and went on deck. The captain advised my lying down in the lee scuppers to avoid taking cold, and I had just taken a bath when the schooner was thrown on her beam ends. I clung to a spar that was made fast to the bulwarks, but the rushing of the water had caused the lashings at one end to give way, and I was swept overboard, but as I did not abandon my hold I came in again with the recoil, when I lost no time in scrambling to the BREAM BAY. 65 weather rail. The wind gradually veered round to the south-east, but before it had reached this point we had drifted to the southward of the Bay of Islands, and as we had had no sights we mistook the Poor Knights, small rocky islets off the main, for the Caralle Islands, and took a cruize in Bream Bay, thinking we had reached our port, the Hen and Chickens and Barrier Islands being mistaken for the islands which gave rise to the name of the bay we were bound for. We had been three days without observations, and no one on board had visited New Zealand before, which is some excuse for our error. Discovering no signs of man or his habitations, we began to fancy all was not right ; the miserable outline chart that we had gave us no assistance ; but what helped us to our conclusion was the hundreds of red bream we met floating on the water, supposed to have been killed during the gale which had just subsided. We therefore tacked, and next day at noon we were still to the southward of our port. Its approach is very romantic, numerous small islands are grouped about with rocks of singular and gro- tesque forms, particularly one at the north head, called from its shape the Ninepin Rock, and another off Cape Brett, the south head, which has a natural arch completely through it. There is also another peculiar rock called the Whale rock, which is only observable at low water, and then betrays its dangerous proximity like the back of a whale. On reaching Kororarika, the commercial settlement which is about nine miles from the Heads, I felt myself a disap- pointed man. The land rises abruptly on every side VOL. I. F 66 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. in steep irregular hills; there is no inland commu- nication from the township, nor is there reasonable ground, from the features of the country, to hope there ever will be. A narrow sandy beach in the form of a crescent with a swamp at the back, a few hundred square yards of higher ground shut in by abrupt surrounding hills, is a faithful portraiture of Kororarika. The only level spot available has been seized upon for the township, which does not exceed in extent a good-sized kitchen-garden. There are thirty or forty wooden houses of European con- struction, which have arisen in the style termed higglety-pigglety, no attention having been paid to any thing like order or regularity : a "pah" or native village occupies a prominent part of the beach, and " Maori" huts are interspersed amongst the houses of the English residents. I do not see how it is pos- sible that commercial transactions to any extent can be conducted here. The place has no exports, and the whale ships are ceasing to make it a harbour for refreshing, &c., as they find the increase of white faces has raised the price of native labour and every commodity to such a degree that they are all seeking for other harbours, where they may procure shelter during the season of retirement from the whaling grounds, and obtain refreshments at their former easy rate. Such a rush has been made to New Zealand that the place is crowded with Europeans ; and w r hen I first landed, I heard some of the idlers about the beach saying one to the other, "here come more victims." Every house has got more than threefold its complement of inhabitants : tents pitched here and RIVER WAITANGI. 67 there supply with some the deficiency of house room. The market is glutted with goods. Auction bells are going all day long, and, notwithstanding the govern- ment proclamations, land is daily being bought and sold ; a monomaniacal plague or land fever is abroad, and the whole atmosphere is infected with it. I have mentioned the precipitous character of the land generally at the Bay of Islands, and in some places where a level spot has tempted an individual to fix his residence, the only communication to or from it is by water. Opposite Kororarika is Pihea, the missionary settlement. It is not very large, nor, owing to the nature of the land, will it admit of much greater extension, that is, in the direction of the bay, for the missionaries lay claim to extensive tracts of country as " Church property ; " their site possesses more level soil than that about the com- mercial township, and it also communicates with the interior ; but a great drawback exists in the heavy surf that plays upon the beach, which renders it impracticable to construct wharfs or jetties. Koro- rarika .is open to the same objection. The only way they have of landing goods is by rolling them on planks from boats, whereby much damage is at times occasioned. February 29th. The river "Waitangi on the mis- sionary side of the bay takes a very sinuous course ; at high water vessels of from forty to sixty tons burthen might enter its channel, but at low ebb there is not sufficient water for the entrance of a boat. The banks in many places are under agricul- tural improvement, and I noticed corn, potatoes, 'F 2 68 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. pumpkins, and other vegetables in thriving condition. The soil is rich alluvial, and yields abundantly; a picturesque waterfall bounded my excursion up this river, and it is from this fall its name is derived, " Waitangi," or the " crying waters." The river Kawakawa, in another direction, is navi- gable for vessels of burthen eight or nine miles up : in fact it is a continuation thus far of the harbour of the Bay of Islands, but the land on either side is of the acclivitous nature before alluded to ; and from the various detached spots where parties have fixed their isolated abodes, the only means of intercourse with other places is by boats. Vessels may anchor within a few hundred yards of the beach at Kororarika, and the harbour is esteemed perfectly safe ; but when it blows hard from the N. E. there is a heavy ground swell : no trade is to be conducted with the natives. Flax does not grow in the neighbourhood, timber is scarcer than in Sydney, and what few pigs and potatoes are brought by the natives for barter are required for home consumption, and they have now learnt to demand for their produce more than its full value. Few as the Europeans comparatively are they are nevertheless divided. The missionary re- sidents at Pihea will have no transactions with the settlers at Kororarika, and the " old hands" at the last-mentioned place combine to prevent new arri- vals from selling their goods advantageously. The numbers that from false and high-coloured represen- tations have flocked to the bay lately have caused store-room to be very scarce, and the terms most exorbitant, and the deluded, beings, compelled to part WHITE'S ISLAND. 69 with their goods, have in many instances been obliged to dispose of them at less than cost price ; hence every new comer is hailed with the soubriquet of victim. Finding no possibility of disposing of my cargo without being subject to great loss, I stored it and gave instruction for its sale at favourable opportu- nities. The schooner being chartered for the East Cape and elsewhere, for the purpose of trading with the natives, I agreed with the master to go with him as a passenger, and on March 28th we weighed and stood out to sea. The coast as we passed along had the same broken, bluff, repulsive, sterile look. Our old friends, the Poor Knights, Bream Head, and Barrier Isles again greeted our view, and on April 1st we sighted White's Island, a small sul- phuric volcanic isle. It was emitting volumes of smoke, and its spectral white sides caused it to resemble the ghost of an island " blowing a cloud." I was informed that it yielded good sulphur of com- merce, but there is no anchorage off it ; landing couhl be effected by boats, but not at all times practicable As night approached I expected to see flames issuing from the crater, but gradually the smoke became less dense, and as the sun went down nothing but a thin spiral wreath could be faintly discerned. April 4th. Came to anchor in a roadstead off Warakaihika, a Kainga or native settlement to the southward of Hicke's Bay. The natives came off to us, and I went ashore in a double-banked canoe, paddled by twenty of them ; the canoe was dubbed out of a single tree and appeared so crank that I expected we should capsize, but there was no ground for fear. Keeping I 3 70 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. time with their paddles to a peculiar cry of " Tohia," they propelled her along with great dexterity and speed, and without shipping a spoonful of water piloted her through the surf into a chasm in the rocks only sufficiently wide to receive her. On landing we were surrounded by natives, who came running from all directions to gaze at the Pakihas ; we were overwhelmed with greetings, and nothing could be heard but " Te-na-ra-ka-kui." The men were fine athletic-built fellows, some clad in mats and others partly in European clothing ; the women not very tempting in appearance, and very un- graceful in their motions, their gait resembling the awkward waddle of a duck. The old people were extremely ugly, so shrivelled and full of harsh wrinkles they looked like animated mummies ; numerous chil- dren were running about, but they seemed very puny, and did not indicate future promise of the strength and stature of their progenitors. We found that most of the natives could read and write, and that all were impressed with notions of the Christian religion. One among them officiated as minister: prayer was offered three times a day, at break of day, at noon, and at sun-down, all which times of devo- tion were observed with the strictest attention. In every hut was to be found a testament, prayer book, or some other religious token of the exertions of the missionaries. Wars between them are in a great measure suspended, and the sabbath is observed with great sanctity : they pay great attention to the instruction of their teachers, who are natives first taught by Europeans ; and no presents^ however ROADSTEAD OF WARAKAHAIKA. 71 eagerly coveted, would cause them to violate the Lord's day. The land here is of the same acclivitous character ; it ranges far as the eye can see like a barrier wall, but it is cultivated by the natives in almost inaccessible spots. A narrow strip at the foot of the perpendicular cliffs, comprising about 800 acres of table land, is attached to this Kainga. It was under good cultivation, being intersected by channels for the purpose of irrigation and showing crops of potatoes, koomras, tara, maize, melons, pump- kins, cabbages, onions, and other vegetables. It is well and abundantly watered by springs from above, and at any moment by damming the channels they can cause it to be overflowed. There is good anchorage a mile and a half from the beach, and plenty of sea room to up and away if it should come to blow upon the land. The natives appear very partial to culti- vating the face of the hills ; they contend that the crops are better in such situations, probably owing to alluvial deposits washed by the heavy rains from above. I have seen heavy crops of maize growing in such acclivitous positions, as quite fatigued me to reach them. Whilst the person who chartered the vessel re- mained at Warakaihika to barter with the natives, lie despatched the schooner to another settlement called Rangatukaia, about thirty miles to the southward of the East Cape, to take in corn, pigs, potatoes, &c., purchased by a trading master in his employ, an Englishman, long resident on the coast. This man went in the vessel, and I also again honoured her with my company. We steered between a small F 4 72 EOT INGS IN THE PACIFIC. islet and the East Cape : it was blowing fresh when we arrived off Rangatukaia, and a heavy swell was setting upon the land ; the captain hesitated what to do, for, as off Warakaihika, there is good holding ground, but no shelter for shipping. Whilst casting his eyes around in doubt he observed breakers outside us. This determined him and he immediately tacked and stood to sea again ; towards afternoon, the weather moderating we brought to in eight fathoms' water, about two miles distant from the pah. A large war canoe came off to us with thirty natives, and a white man in hei', the latter a runaway seaman; they stated they had between two and three hundred bushels of maize ready, and as they intended starting for Poverty Bay in the morning, they would bring it off at daylight. They were as good as their word ; and a wild scene it was three large war canoes ornamented with feathers, and beautifully carved stem and stern pieces. One of the canoes being con- siderably longer than the schooner came alongside : they were filled with naked figures, who threw them- selves on board hallooing, shouting, and whooping, like imps of darkness. Their canoes were emptied and the produce stowed in the hold in a few minutes ; and when they came to receive payment for their labour such an outburst of double discord took place, that the confusion of Babel must have been melody to it. Some time elapsed before all were satisfied and had taken to their canoes ; they then gave a flourish with their paddles and pulled away with vigorous stroke, keeping time with their blades to the inspiriting cry of one of their war songs. Whilst WILD SCENERY. 73 the agent was engaged trying what more trade he oould effect, the captain, a fellow-passenger, and my- self strolled over the hills to survey the country. The skipper succumbed before he had proceeded three miles, and left us to gain the summit of a lofty hill, which promised a bird's-eye-view of the sur- rounding country. We had to surmount many an unexpected hill and hollow 'ere we reached our Mount Prospect. Every hill was under cultivation in greater or less degree, and most of the natives we fell in with were engaged in agricultural pursuits. Maize seemed to be in abundance, but not, as yet, fully ripe. April is the best month for potatoes, and May for maize. On gaining the mountain top, the country to the southward, far as our gaze extended, was all hill and mountain, the deep narrow gorges between being densely wooded, not with available timber, but with an impervious interlacing scrub. Towards the north, at the back of the bold rising ground facing the sea, there appeared a level valley, apparently four miles long by two in breadth, through which we could discern the meandering course of two silvery streams converging towards a gorge leading to the sea. Lofty ranges of hill and mountain encircle this vale on all sides, and beyond which the eye could not penetrate. Having finished our survey, we were for making the best of our way back again ; but our little Maori guide would conduct us by a fresh route, that he might introduce us to as many of his countrymen as he could. He led us through all the cultivated spots on our way, where we had to interchange the friendly shake of the hand and the 74 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. salutation " Te-na-ra-ka-koi." We were considerably surprised at the loads we saw females carrying : we met on the summit of the highest hill an aged female just ascended from the opposite side, with two baskets of potatoes on her back, which could not have weighed less than eighty pounds : she did not seem at all in- commoded with her burthen, and commenced the descent with less appearance of fatigue than probably I exhibited, who was entirely unencumbered. On nearing the beach, to our great surprise we saw the vessel getting under weigh, and when we reached the pah, lo ! she was standing seaward with a spread of canvass. This was mortifying; but no help for it. The white blackguard at the pah told us we had better start overland for Warakaihika, and that the road was so direct we could not miss it : however, as neither relished this advice, we bargained for a guide. After some hesitation, one at length offered : " Come on," said he, with a resolute shake of the head, tightening his blanket around him ; " come on : " and forthwith he led the way. He was a powerfully- built fellow, and active as a deer : he could make use of one or two English words, but did not understand any sentence, and our intercourse was managed by signs, with a word dropped now and then. For the first eight miles we journeyed along the sea-coast, and the guide, to shorten the distance, would catch me by the hand as the waves receded, and run me as hard as he could, by this means cutting off angles and securing firmer footing, as the sands just laved by the ocean were much harder than where exposed to the wind and sun ; but it was fatiguing work, and when OVERLAND TRIP TO WARAKAIHIKA. 75 we came to ascend the cliffs I was seized with cramp in the thighs, so painful that I was frequently obliged to halt. When, however, we had mastered the ascent, I forgot my pains, on finding we were about to enter the valley we had seen from Mount Prospect. Descending, we traversed it in a winding direction ; and my companion, who was something of an agri- culturist, declared he had never seen richer soil. We waded the streams we had noticed, the deepest parts at the fords not reaching above our waists : the water was intensely cold, and we hastened to resume our clothes after we had crossed the first river, but our guide signed to us not to do so, indicating, by holding up four of his fingers, that we should have to enter it four times more. We were joined by several other natives as we proceeded, apparently delighted at the chance of accompanying us. The land was cultivated through the whole extent of the vale, and we noticed many separate " kiangas." Our guide asked us if we would " kai-kai te dinner," meaning would we eat some dinner : signifying our assent, he led us directly to the chief pah. Old and young came flocking round us; and whilst we were going through the salutation ceremony, Toma disappeared. In a few minutes, however, he returned, bringing with him a basket of cold potatoes : we intimated a desire for hot ones, and he made us understand that he had only brought these for the present, but that the afternoon meal was cooking, and would soon be ready. The chief named Ne-pere was a young man, tall and very robust : he wrote down his name, and brought from his hut several books; they were all much 76 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. amused at our readiness in reading them, though not able to understand a word, and when we used a wrong pronunciation, one and all would call out to correct us. Whilst thus engaged, the cramp returned upon me ; my toes became distorted, and painful swellings arose in the muscles of my thighs and legs. On ob- serving this, Ne-pere pressed our staying with him that night, promising, if we did, to accompany us in the morning to "VVarakaihika. We were half disposed to stop, but fearing to miss the vessel, we resisted his hos- pitable entreaties. Ne-pere shook his head, and made signs that we should never be able to reach Warakai- hika that night ; he laid his head upon the ground, and closing his eyes, intimated that we should go to sleep before we could get there. He took us into his hut and showed us mats, blankets, and coats to keep us warm, and signified that if we would but wait till morning we should be refreshed and well able to con- tinue our journey. His signs were most expressive ; but finding that all his kind entreaties were of no avail, he ceased to press us, saying in English, " Well, well." The potatoes and other vegetables being ready, a new basket was taken, and the choice of the lot being selected and laid before us, a clean mat was spread for us to sit on, and we were left to ourselves. The rest helped themselves indiscriminately from the oven, and kept at a respectful distance, except Ne-pere and Toma, who sat immediately behind us. We were a long distance from the sea or brackish water ; but on contriving to make Ne-pere understand I would like some salt, one of his slaves brought me a paper of Epsom salts. The repast being done, we distributed OVERLAND TRIP TO WARAKAIHIKA. 77 what tobacco we had, and returning thanks in the best way we could, bade farewell to the kind group, shaking hands with the whole of them. They seemed particularly pleased w T ith this shaking of hands, as if they deemed it an honour. Our guide acted very cavalierly. Seeing we had finished eating, he looked at us and just made use of the word "Ready ?" and interpreting aright our nod of acquiescence, away he started, without leave-taking or anything else, and when we overtook him he was at a considerable dis- tance from the kainga waiting for us. His non- chalance was very amusing. He entered two or three huts on the road, and, without addressing a syllable to the inmate, coolly helped himself and us to what we wanted, and departed in the same silent manner; nor did his countrymen manifest any surprise at this treat- ment. Having reached the extremity of the valley, by crossing the streams before they formed a con- fluence, we again emerged upon the beach, which we followed for a few miles till brought to a stand-still by the cliffs shooting precipitously from the sea. By some subterraneous convulsion, these cliffs had been rent asunder, and the yawning ravine or chasm rose wall sided for several hundred feet, at the bottom of which a dark rolling stream discharged its headlong current, and threatened to put a stop to our further progress. ~\Ve were completely at fault, and could not see the possibility of continuing our journey. Toma stripped, and, taking me on his shoulders, waded up the stream for about fifty yards, landed me on a narrow shelf of rock, and then returned for my companion : thus he kept wading and landing us on either side the stream 78 BOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. as it winded through, the dark chasm, till at last there appeared no prospect of a resting-place for the foot. " Come on," said he ; and to our surprise commenced an almost perpendicular ascent. No track was visible, and we had to use hands and feet. Now commenced our troubles. Having surmounted the first painful ascent, we got into a narrow footpath which led us over what appeared to our tired legs an endless variety of steep ridges ; sometimes we had to force our way through brushwood and fern that reached above our heads, and at others we were obliged to use the utmost precaution that our feet did not slip and precipitate us into the gullies below ; and now our guide began to play us tricks, thinking he had us in his power. He first demanded one thing and then another ; he even requested me to give my trousers off my body, saying that I had got another pair on, alluding to my drawers, and on our refusing to com- ply with his attempts at extortion, he made as if he would leave us : however, finding we were not intimi- dated, but continued our career without him, he again joined us, and, as if nothing had occurred to excite our distrust, he handed me his pipe, and, in a tone of the most friendly confidence, made use of the mono- syllable " Smoke ?" As evening approached, he became very urgent for us to quicken our speed, seemingly entertaining the greatest dread lest dark- ness should overtake us. We endeavoured to re- assure him by evincing our indifference ; but still, at every halt we made to relieve our fatigued legs, he did not fail to torment us with his " Haere ! haere ! " We had been travelling some hours, and were now FATIGUING EXERTIONS. 79 about two-thirds of the way over this interminable pass, when I was so exhausted with fatigue and pain proceeding from cramp, that I made up my mind to throw myself amongst the fern, determined to rest there till morning. On reaching Toina, who was somewhat ahead of us, with the intention of declaring my resolve, he motioned us to take off our hats, and pointed to the sun, which was disappearing in a flood of crimson light below the distant sea-girt horizon : concealing his face in the folds of his blanket, and sinking on his knees, he poured out his evening orisons to the Almighty ; he sang a hymn and offered several prayers. I was much affected as I looked at the wild tattooed savage ; and that scriptural passage wherein it is said that the Word of God should be preached throughout all nations upon earth, to every people and in every tongue, rushed forcibly to my recollection. We did not scorn to follow the example set us by the converted heathen, and after we had concluded our petitions again resumed our journey ; and we observed that, from this time, Toma was more considerately deferential and attempted no more im- positions. Buried in thought, we continued walk- ing for some time in silence. Darkness at length rendered our footing so precarious, that it required the whole of our attention and exertions to keep our- selves from falling. Our last descent was particularly fatiguing and hazardous ; it was nearly perpendicular. The trees entwined their limbs above our heads, shutting out what little light we might have received from the heavens ; and the blind track was formed by the twisted, interlacing roots of trees, that obtruded 80 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. through the earth. We were literally compelled to feel our way, and in many places had to hang on with our hands as we groped with our feet for the next rest. It seemed as if we were never to reach the bottom ; and we were so thoroughly and completely knocked up, that our trembling limbs well nigh re- fused to support us. At last, like thirsty pilgrims at the sight of water, we were once more delighted at beholding the beach, and, what enhanced our satis- faction, a hut only a stone's throw from us. But on signifying our wish to pass the night there, Toma betrayed most unequivocal signs of alarm : he shook his head, and hurried quickly past it, muttering " Tapi tap," which we subsequently learnt meant sacred. From some cause or other the chief of the tribe had tabooed it, and until this rite had been re- moved, no native dared enter it ; so we had to trudge another weary mile or two in no enviable plight. I could scarcely drag one limb after the other, and continued loud in my lamentations, when Toma suddenly stopped and asked, " Kai-kai ti supper?" Heartily did we express our readiness to fall to, at which he began ascending a sand-hill, leaving us to follow. The moment I attempted to do so, cramp in the muscles seized me with tenfold violence, and I was obliged to crawl upon my hands and knees. This was a settler, and I vowed to go no further that night. It was dark as pitch, and Toma appeared very anxious to keep us close to his side ; I ridiculed his fears, and, I suppose, fancying from that I would be a good protection against evil spirits, he caught my hand and motioned me to accompany him. But A NIGHT'S REST. 81 the great reluctance I evinced to move caused him to transfer his attention to my companion, who was in rather better condition. Handing me his tinder- box and instructing me to get a fire in readiness, he took my companion to aid him in a search for an iron pot, secreted for the use of the initiated. Owing to the extreme darkness, and Toma's fear of moving from my companion's side, they returned unsuccessful, but not without forage, as Toma unrolled his blanket and produced several heads of green maize and a large pumpkin. I had consumed all the tinder in a vain endeavour to procure a light, and was busily clicking away with the flint and steel, when, luckily for my credit, Toma stumbled on the smouldering remains of a fire. With lungs in- flated like a blacksmith's bellows, he quickly kindled a flame, and it was not long before our provender was roasting in the ashes. I did not make much of a meal, but as for our guide, he despatched enough to have satisfied a horse. His appetite appeased, he stretched his blanket in the sand before the fire, and inviting me to lie down on the edge of it, he rolled himself up in the remainder, sheltering my back from the wind, which, being only in my shirt and trousers, was very acceptable : I got little, if any, sleep, as Toma disturbed me by continually rubbing and scratching himself, and we were obliged to rise frequently to procure wood to feed the fire, for Toma would not budge a yard from the light, being as much inspired with superstitious dread of the darkness as were the Australian blacks. VOL. I. G 82 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. At four o'clock A. M. we again started, our guide having been entreating us to move since half-past two ; but this my companion would by no means stand. The remainder of our trip, being about twenty miles, was along the beach, being a succession of long sandy reaches, which occasioned us much dis- appointment, as we were in hopes that every point we rounded would be last. Soon as the flushed appearance of the eastern horizon announced the break of day, Toma quickened his speed and hurried on to a native hut. Not knowing his motive, we waited for him on the beach. Presently he re- appeared and beckoned for us, and we found it was to join him and the family in morning prayers. The decent and respectful attitude with which they listened to the one who read, and the fervency with which they seemed to feel and utter the responses and join in the hymn of praise, would put to the blush many of our more civilised congregations. A few miles further on we breakfasted on potatoes at a pah, the chief of which accompanied us to Wara- kaihika, which haven of rest we contrived to reach at half-past ten, never before so jaded and foot- foundered. We found the chief who had accompanied us the latter part of our journey had a motive for so doing, as, greatly to our surprise, he demanded pay- ment for the few potatoes we had eaten, and again for carrying my companion across the narrow stream. Tobacco is much prized amongst the natives, and we started with a good stock, and so long as we had it we gave it away freely. This, perhaps, saved us from previous similar requests, but as it was the first SOJOURN ON ONE OF THE ISLANDS. 83 we had been subjected to, we turned to our guide, who looked much mortified and ashamed. The schooner did not reach her old anchorage till the following morning, having encountered a stiff gale which had carried her considerably to the northward. I was not sorry to get to my berth again, as I cannot expatiate much on the luxuries of a Maori hut. A day or two after, the vessel's hold being filled with maize and potatoes, and her deck covered with pigs, we again got under weigh for the Bay of Islands. The wind freshened till it blew a strong breeze, and then commenced rude harmony. "\Yhat with the hoarse roaring of Boreas and the varied notes of our live cargo, it was indeed "most musical, most melancholy." Defend me from such another freight of sweet voices. We arrived in safety at the bay, but instead of proceeding direct to Kororarika, I accepted an invitation to spend a week or two on one of the small islands at the entrance of the harbour. Great importance seems to be attached to these small islands by parties claiming them, but I cannot see why, as there is very little level land upon them : they would do very well for persons of in- dependent property, who wish to enact Robinson Crusoe in a small way ; but in a commercial point of view I confess I cannot see their utility. G 2 84 CHAP. V. Take Passage in a small Schooner bound to the Thames District. Captain and Crew. Coromandel Harbour. Cross the Frith in an open Boat for Wakatinai. Arrival at the Maramarua. Conduct of Chief. The Maramarua. Waikato River. An Excursion in the Company of Natives. A Night Bivouac broken up by Rain. A Chief taboos himself against himself. Veneration of the Head by New Zealanders. Their Disregard of the Value of Time. Sleeping in Maori Huts. The Waipa. Anecdote of a young Giant. Left in the Lurch. Relieved by a chance Traveller. Natives attempt at Extortion. Scene with a Fury. Journey back. Burning Coal. The Animal and Vegetable Kingdom glanced at. The Return to Coro- mandel Harbour. A " Plant" discovered, not a botanical one. Removal of a Taboo. Tale of a Pipe. Natives jolly. He that can help himself will find plenty to assist him. New Zealand Tactics. English Impudence. Hot Springs at Wakatinai. Excursion up the River Thames. Construct a Steamer. A Fracas from sleeping uncon- sciously on tabooed Ground. Two Chiefs blown up with Gunpowder. Mischievous Influence of Atua Chiefs. Scene round a sick Couch. A Halt at the Mouth of the River. A Religious Thief. Anecdote of a Suicide. Estimate of New Zealanders' Character. " Wasteful Billy." A sick Headache. Put up for the Night at a Sawyer's Station. The River Thames. " I've put my foot on earth's most distant strand, And traversal many a wild and savage land." DESIROUS of seeing the lauded district of the Thames, I broached the idea to my companion of the East PASSAGE TO THE THAMES DISTRICT. 85 Cape excursion ; and we again agreed to become travelling companions. We secured a passage in a small coasting schooner, and early one Sunday mom- ing made a start for this highly praised district. The passage was rendered amusing by the eccen- tricities of our crew and passengers. The captain was a little dare-devil of a Scotchman, who took great delight in exciting the nervous apprehensions of a great lout of a fellow, a countryman of his, who was in constant dread of some accident occurring. " Little Jock," as we used to call the skipper, would sling the deep sea-lead against the side of the vessel near the berth occupied by this man of tremors, and then sing out to clear away the boat, in order to cause his fears to induce him to show his nose upon deck. One of the crew seemed as if he had been raked from a dunghill, for a filthier union of dirt and rags I never saw, and he was honoured with the appella- tive of the dogVmeat-man ; a darkey, made still darker by dirt, was our cook ; and two Xew Zealand boys who spoke broken English, completed the vessel's complement : one of the latter expressed much satis- faction "at my companion's conduct, but didn't like me at all, as he said I was too fond of " te kyrak." * "We sailed past several small islands in the estuary of the Thames, and dropped anchor in Waihao or Coro- mandel harbour, a small, well-sheltered harbour, formed by an island and the main. I was much struck, on landing, with the appearance of the beach ; it was literally one mass of oysters ; and the rocks all * Sky -larking. O 3 86 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. round the island, and the shore on the main opposite, was in like manner swarming Avith clusters of these bivalve fish, which are well flavoured, and often caused me to spoil my dinner. After a day or two's stay on the island, we agreed with the owner of a small boat for a passage to Wakatinai, on the opposite side of the Frith, a distance of about thirty miles from where we were ; intending to cross the country to "Waikato river, where a friend of ours had long re- sided. The shore on either side the Frith rises abrupt, rugged, and broken ; we were becalmed when about one-third of the way across, and enjoyed the luxury of passing two nights on the water in an open boat. 'Twas bitter cold, and heavy dews fell during the night. There was a very large kainga at the landing-place, and some of the natives were as big and athletic as any men I have seen. With some difficulty and hard bargaining, we engaged two stout young fellows to carry our traps and serve as guides. The features of the country we traversed were hilly and swampy ; in a distance of one or two and twenty miles we crossed not less than forty swamps, varying in breadth from one to five hundred yards, and from ankle to waist deep in the crossing places. On arriving at the Maramarua, a tributary of the Waikato, we found a temporary station and several natives ; it was nearly sun-down, and I felt tired and unwell : there were several canoes there, and the chief wanted to treat with us then for re- newing our journey in the morning ; but finding he wanted to impose upon us, and not being in spirits to " argue the point," I walked into the only shed CONDUCT OP A CHIEF. 87 there was, a sort of cook-house, and the only place where there was a fire ; and taking out my blankets, rolled myself in them as close to it as possibe, and with my carpet-bag for a pillow, turning a deaf ear to all importunities, was soon fast asleep ; for the natives, finding we would neither listen nor reply, ceased troubling us, and the sacredness of the chief's person debarred his coming into any place where food was cooked. Nor did I envy him his notions of caste ; for, cold and frosty as the air was, he remained crouched in it the whole night; his back merely sheltered by a few rushes from the wind. Before my senses were closed to the world, I called to him, and beckoned him to approach ; but he replied, in the figurative language of his country, that the place was too low for him, he could not enter, and one of our boys contrived to make us understand, that if we would speak with the Rangatara we must go to him, as he was too great a chief to rise. Being too unwell to contend about the matter, we left him in the unenvied enjoyment of his unsocial dignity. Next morning I awoke about five o'clock, free from pain, full of spirits, and prepared for debate ; the Rangatara or chief, on commencing business, opened his mouth to an unmerciful extent, and, persuaded that he had us in his power, sought by a deal of knavish cunning, to extort most exorbitantly. As neither could talk the language of the other, he wilfully mis- interpreted our signs, and insisted upon receiving most exorbitant pay for the hire of a canoe, as he would not understand that the canoe was to be returned by the guides. When at length, after much squabbling, c 4 88 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. we had arranged matters, we told the boys to jump in and lose no more time ; but no, the chief had in- cited them not to stir, unless we first gave them a sovereign each, and, however willing they might have been to accompany us, they dared not act contrary to his injunctions. At this I burst out laughing, and calling to my companion, we jumped into the canoe, determined to find our own way, though neither of us could boast of our skill at handling the paddle ; but as we were shoving off, the chief dashed down the bank and seized the paddles, giving us to under- stand, that though we had bought the canoe we had not paid for them. Incensed and reckless of conse- quences, I again leapt ashore, and snatched away the payment I had given, and after having exhausted a vocabulary of Maori abuse upon him, which vocabu- lary had been drawn up as a safeguard for us, that we might not fall into danger by using any of the words therein contained, we commenced fastening our carpet bags and blankets to our shoulders, resolving to return rather than submit to his exactions. The dark savage's eyes glistened, and his mouth worked, and I have often wondered since how he restrained himself; but I was utterly regardless, and defied him. We were turning away when the boys came as in- tercessors, and, after a sharp and angry controversy, we gave the lads five shillings each, and paid half a pound of tobacco for the two paddles. They invariably insist upon payment down, not reposing much con- fidence in our good faith. The Maramarua is the most extraordinarily wrig- gling river that ever I beheld ; it winds about like the WAIKATO EIVEE. 89 convolution of a snake, and the greater part of it is so narrow, and the bends so abrupt, that it is impossible to turn a canoe in it. We were compelled to get out at these turnings, and by two dragging at the stem, and two pushing at the stern, would set her going again. Instead of a river it appears more like a passage forced by the natives through an immense flax swamp : it abounds with wild ducks and eels, and at almost every hundred yards you will find an eel- pot fixed. I cannot form any idea of the length of this river in a direct course from our starting place to the Waikato. We commenced our journey at eight o'clock in the morning, stopped an hour on the way, and about four in the afternoon burst sud- denly upon the Waikato, and I suppose we proceeded at the rate of four miles an hour. The Waikato presented a fine appearance, compared with the wriggling creek we had just left ; but I was much disappointed, for though the sheet of water is of considerable width, it is at the same time shallow, and full of sand spits : there is no timber on its banks, nor did I see any in the immediate neighbourhood. The soil I cannot consider good, it being either of a light spongy nature, composed chiefly of what is called pumice stone, or of a red burnt sandy nature, except where the banks are nearly on a level with the water, and the land consequently always in a state of partial irrigation. It here seems black and good, and the flax plant grows most luxuriantly, attaining the height of fourteen or fifteen feet : in short, the Waikato is considered the flax district of the island, but, taken generally, it presents the same appearance 90 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. as the rest of the country, being broken and uneven, hilly and swampy, and bearing evident marks of its volcanic formation. We reached the kainga where our countryman was residing, at seven o'clock in the evening ; the natives crowded to see us, but when we were about to partake of refreshments, they all quitted the house, excepting the head chief, who sat himself down on the opposite side of the room, eyeing with stern curiosity the two strangers. Our friend had hinted the customs of Europeans to eat in privacy, and at a word from their chief they all retired. We found our friend on the point of re- moving from the native settlement, to a house and store^ he had built, three miles higher up the river, as, in consequence of his wife not liking the presence of the natives, disturbances would continually ensue, and he found his influence with them gradually becoming less. We arrived opportunely to aid him in the transportation of his goods and chattels. The natives assisted with great alacrity, and my wonder was frequently excited at the ponderous burthens the women carried. The current of the river is very rapid, which ren- ders it exceedingly fatiguing and tedious to convey goods up it. The practice is to keep as close in to the banks as possible, to avoid the full force of the current ; and canoes are by far the preferable mode of conveyance, as the paddles do not require the extensive sweep that oars do, nor does the canoe draw so much water as the boat. Whale boats have been used upon the river, but they do not answer, and they have invariably been obliged to put the EXCURSION WITH NATIVES. 91 oars aside, and have recourse to native paddles. It appears that when our friend arrived amongst the natives this last time, they were rejoiced to see him, and forsook their plantations in the season of planting, to aid him in bringing his goods across from Manukao. They were six weeks engaged in doing so, and such was their strict integrity, that our friend did not lose a single "article ; but the poor fellows, in consequence of having neglected their plantations, were now without potatoes, which form the staple of their diet, and nineteen or twenty canoes of them were going a long way up the river to borrow supplies, or to a potatoe feast 'as it is colloquially termed ; the tribe they intended visiting having been down to them, some time previously, to a dried eel feast. Our friend was also suffering from "short commons," and my chief object being to gain as much insight of the country, and the customs of its people, as I could, we agreed to participate in the feast. Accordingly nineteen canoes, each containing, on an average, fifteen persons, set off one afternoon, and a very animating spectacle it was. The air re- sounded with their different songs and energetic shouts, the paddles keeping time to the measure ; each canoe had a singer ; but the one in ours was the most famous on the river : the refrain was joined in by all hands, and then the canoe would seem to be ploughing through the water. As night drew near, we bivouacked on a small islet covered with fern. The moon was shining brilliantly, and the various swarthy groups seated around the different fires, their wild garbs, and dark tattooed features, illuminated 92 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. with the ruddy glare, lent a singularly picturesque effect to the scene, when, oh sorrow ! at one o'clock P.M. it came on to rain in a mercilessly pelting style : then was scramble, hurry skurry ; some commenced form- ing temporary shelters by bending the flax leaves, and weaving them into an umbrageous form ; others gathered up their traps, ran to their canoes, and com- menced pulling down the river again to a deserted settlement six miles off: we followed the latter ex- ample, not relishing the prospect of a night's exposure to the pitiless storm. The ready kindness of the natives was manifested on this occasion, for on our arrival we found that those who had preceded us had prepared the best house for our reception, and a good fire to comfort us. As a proof that the chiefs do not preserve their authority over the rest without some personal sacrifice, Taowira, the most influential chief on the river, sat all night in the open air, exposed to a perfect deluge of rain ; his person being too sacred to allow of his sleeping in any of the deserted houses. The chief had the orphan daughter of a brother with him, a little child for whom he seemed to entertain great solicitude : the little thing remained carefully nestled beneath his blanket, and in the morning Taowira combed out the en- tangled masses of her hair : but by this act his hands became tabooed even to himself, so that he could not use them in taking food, nor could he light his own pipe ; and it was amusing to see one of his slave women take his pipe, light it, and then transfer it from her mouth to his, Taowira's hands being all this time snug under his blanket. The taboo lasted NEW ZEALAXDEES. 93 three days, and I happened to be absent when the ceremony of removing it took place. The head, we may remark, is held by the Xew Zealanders in great veneration ; no greater indignity can be offered than by touching their hair or alluding to their head in an offensive way : many serious fracas have taken place between Europeans and them, from a wanton or ig- norant violation of this observance. We were detained by heavy rains two or three days in one spot, and our progress up the river was very slow. The natives do not understand the value of time ; so long as they can procure warm clothing and fill their bellies, they care not how they pass their days, nor can they comprehend why an European wishes to hurry on his journey. Vegetables being their chief food, after they have undergone the trouble of preparing the ground for the reception of the seed, they eschew hard labour till the time of gathering the crops. All our persuasions could not induce them to quicken their movements ; no, they had plenty of food with them, and they could not see why they should be put to unnecessary exertion. The flax plant and the skins of dogs supply them with materials for clothing, Avhich the women dress and prepare, and, as far as my observation extended, a more than due proportion of labour falls to the lot of the women, as, independent of their domestic duties, they engage in planting and digging, and participate in nearly all the out- door labour of their lords. Since Europeans have intro- duced luxuries into the land, they find that if they would possess a continuance of them, they must make suitable returns, and consequently many have of late 94 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. been induced to cultivate more land than their own immediate wants require. Tobacco has become an absolute necessary of life with them ; and blankets are much coveted, being warmer and more pleasant to the skin than mats; and as other wants are created amongst them by the introduction of European habits, so will they learn more fully to appreciate the value of time. At another halting place, we were detained three days by the continuance of wet weather, and we had the luxury of sleeping in a hut with about forty natives : there we were, jammed together on the ground like pilchards in a barrel, Nga Maori lying at our feet, our heads, and by our sides. Not anticipating that I should be detained out longer than three or four days, I had taken no change of clothing with me ; and on one or two occasions of getting wet through, I had no other course but to wrap a blanket round my shoulders a la maori, whilst my other habiliments were drying ; and I must disclose the truth, such close bodily contact with our dark-skinned friends did not tend greatly to the comfort of our persons, for we speedily became tell it not in Gath covered with vermin. Great was my horror at the discovery, and great was our friend's diversion ; for as he was an old resident, they never molested him ; and he used to scream with laughter as my companion and myself proceeded every morning to the water, to shake our shirts in the wind, and bury our heads in the stream : not that the loathsome insects infested our heads ; they were too lazy to crawl so high. They are mon- sters in size, and would stick to our linen with their hind legs, whilst they banquetted on our backs. They THE WAIPA. 95 are nick-named " heavy dragoons " by the old hands ; and fleas they call " light cavalry : " but body vermin, fleas, nmsquitos, and sand-flies confine their attacks principally to new comers. Our friend who was exposed in every respect as we were, yet remained entirely free from intruders. There was nothing gratifying, or to call for remark, on either side the river, till we reached the point where it forks into two branches, one called the Horotu, the other the TVaipa. The scenery about the Waipa is picturesque, and the soil is good immediately on the banks. About sixty miles beyond the termination of our jaunt, we were informed that the land was level, rich, and exceedingly fertile to a considerable extent ; but this I cannot vouch for. The whole of the TN'aikuto district must have been at one time very thickly populated : it abounds with the remains of native fortifications, and the meaning of TVaipa is the water of fortified villages. Our patience becoming ex- hausted by the dilatory movements of our deliberate escort, we resolved on abandoning it, and engaged a small canoe at the kainga we last rested at, and pro- ceeded to finish our journey by our own exertions ; but this we were not allowed to do ; for we had scarcely pulled six miles, when we were hailed from the banks, and, after a conversation of nearly an hour's length, the party hailing us launched a large canoe, and ten strapping fellows jumped into it, to bear us to the end of our destination. Their leader was a gigantic young fellow between six and seven feet high, finely formed, and rendered notorious and terrible to his foes from the fact of his having been shot through the body 06 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. in a bloody conflict in the river, and afterwards sur- viving, though carried away as dead ; the ball had entered his right side, traversed his chest, and passed out on the left side. He is the hero of many hundreds of songs on account of his gallantry and daring. On one occasion he and three others had gone up the river, beyond the limits of safety, and unexpectedly fell into an ambush ; a war canoe with twenty hands in it was lying in wait for him, and when he appeared within range of musket-shot, the whole party, in their impatience, fired a volley and gave chase. Nga Maori are miserable marksmen, and not one of the shot took effect. Seeing the extremity to which they were reduced, the four gave way: dear life was at stake; the current was with them, but it also favoured their enemies': desperation lent them strength ; they kept their distance, they even gained a little ; but no, the struggle was too unequal, in vain they used their utmost efforts, gradually their foes encroached upon them: observing this, and that their own strength was failing, the tall young fellow, conscious that his opponents' arms were discharged, rose from his seat, and taking deliberate aim, fired : two fell to rise no more, and a third tumbled off the thwarts into the water ; the canoe was stopped to take in the wounded sinking wretch, and then Seven Feet, uttering a shout of derision, applied all his strength to the paddle, and accomplished their escape. Our canoemen requested payment for their services, which was conceded them ; but on our refusing to extend similar payment to a little boy whom they had brought with them, we found ourselves next morning ATTEMPTS AT EXTORTIOX. 97 left in the lurch. They had taken away the canoe, leaving us without the chance of returning for some time as they imagined ; but it so happened that an Englishman, who had been traversing the country collecting pigs, came down the river at this critical moment, and immediately accommodated us with his canoe. "NYe were detained a couple of days by the obstinacy of the natives, who would, yet would not, barter with us ; they threatened to starve our friend out, and talked of compelling all Europeans to quit the country. This was only an attempt to extort disproportionate terms ; but finding they per- sisted, we laughed at them, packed up our traps, and proceeded to launch the canoe. This signal of our being in earnest brought them to their senses; fellows came scrambling down the bank in all directions with baskets of potatoes on their backs, and soon we had more than we could convey ; but being disgusted with the whole mob we did not wait the arrival of the party who were coming to the feast. Whether selfishness is a natural feature in New Zealand cha- racter, or whether it has been taught them by their intercourse with Europeans I know not ; but we were greatly annoyed by their attempts at exaction. As we were returning we stopped in the afternoon to kindle a fire on the banks of the Waipa to cook some potatoes, when a party came and demanded payment for our so doing. " Omai ti utn " (give me the payment) was eternally in their mouths. " Yes, I'll give you payment," said the owner of the canoe, who was familiar with the language. " Here, give me some wood " (the natives were dis- VOL. I. H 98 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. charging wood at the time from two large canoes). Down he went, and as fast as they handed it out so he received it and placed it on his fire, they imagin- ing he was carrying it to their stack ; but when the old woman, the proprietress of the wood, discovered the cheat, a most ludicrous scene took place. She was a hideous-looking creature, naked to the waist, blind with one eye, her face shrivelled and lined with a thousand wrinkles, and her coarse grizzled hair in wild disorder resembling knots of twisted snakes ; her sightless ball protruded horribly, whilst the other glistened like a spark of fire. She stretched out her long skinny arms and talon-like fingers, and fairly foamed with fury as she endeavoured to snatch the wood from the fire ; but the " white man " seized a red-hot brand, and every time she made the attempt he would thrust it at her, whilst she yelled again at her disappointment. Macbeth's witches were beaten hollow. The natives could not stand it, and exploded with such uproarious laughter, that the demoniacal old hag was fain to turn away and hide herself. I was nearly getting into a scrape here, for on coming down the bank, forgetting the sacred character of their heads, I carelessly leaped over a group of four or five who were seated in my way. They started and gave me a very fiendish sort of scowl, which I returned with a broad grin, and our friend happening to be by, prevented further ill consequences by explaining my ignorance of their customs, at which they evinced a surly sort of satis- faction ; but I should not like to have renewed the feat. We were not quite so long in reaching our BURXIXG COAL. 99 friend's house as we had been in making the journey from it ; our canoe was manned by ten stout New Zealanders and four Englishmen ; and every time Xga Maori relaxed in their exertions we jeered and set the example of continued paddling, so that with the current and our manful plying we estimated that we accomplished more than one hundred miles in ten hours. One of the lads was a famous singer, and he cheered us with his wild chaunts nearly the whole way, by which means we contrived to maintain ad- mirable stroke ; occasionally when he took a breath- ing spell I would take up the burden, adapting English words to their tune, but we found they all left off pulling to listen, so I was obliged to desist notwithstanding their reiterated cries of " Tena ! Tena!" (Goon! Goon!) Xot far from our friend's house, there is a fresh-water lake at the foot of a range of mountains, and through the very centre of it runs a stream of salt water. A large coal district is also close at band, which accidentally took fire ; at the time I write it had continued burning for upwards of two years. This coal might serve for steamers if the river was navigable for any available purpose, but in many places it is so shallow that a whaleboat cannot pass. It is a singular fact that there are no peculiar quad- rupeds indigenous to New Zealand, and only one or two varieties of birds. There are no venomous reptiles, and a person may lay himself down to sleep in any part of the country without fear of injury from noxious animals. There are few shrubs, and one or H 2 100 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. two varieties of vegetables only indigenous to the country ; but most of the fruits and vegetables have been introduced by Cook and other voyagers. As the owner of the canoe was bound to Waihao we availed ourselves of his escort. Having plenty of hands to collect fern for our beds, and to procure us firewood and water, and the weather fortunately proving fine, the jaunt was tolerably pleasant, though it took us five days to reach Wakatiwai, as we could not pursue our former track, the canoe we were now in being three times the size of the other. One night we had to sleep on a small dry patch of sand, not above ten feet square, after several abor- tive attempts to continue our journey. The night was piercingly cold, and the water intensely so, and I could not but admire the indifference with which the lads threw off their blankets to force the canoe along, sometimes plumping up to their necks, and at others being only ankle-deep. They appeared insen- sible to cold or fatigue, but my blood was chilled by the biting influence of the night atmosphere. At last, it being past midnight and very dark, we agreed to rest till day-dawn on the patch above men- tioned. On leaving the Maramarna we arrived at a different landing-place from where we took our de- parture, and there were evident traces of pigs having recently preceded us, which when our .boys observed they commenced beating the bush in all directions. I wondered at the meaning of this manreuvre, but soon found it was not without an object, for in a little time they returned bringing with them half the car- case of a large hog partially roasted. It appears they REMOVAL OF A TABOO. 101 had discovered signs of one having been killed, and concluding the party could not carry the whole away, they dispersed in search of the " plant," which in case of discovery is fair game amongst them. The natives rarely kill pigs on their own account, excepting on great occasions or feasts, and when they do sit down to a feed of flesh, the sight is any thing but agreeable. They eat most voraciously, and gorge to repletion : each man consuming as much as would satisfy four English ploughmen. Our lads formed no exception to this disgusting rule, and though it was only mid- day when they had completed their feed, we could not induce them to proceed more than four miles further that day, when we bivouacked for the night. Xext morning the natives refused to carry our luggage unless we would agree to give a pound of tobacco to each man of the party. " Very well," said I, " don't, we'll carry it ourselves." At this they all laughed and seemed mightily entertained, and one of them cried out in broken English, " Very goodee, very goodee, te pakiha makee carry." Preparatory to starting, one of the natives, in cutting the rind off a piece of pork to grease his musket, gashed his finger with the knife : he immediately dropped it and called to another of the party, who taking it up, and sticking it into a potato that was boiling over the fire, peeled it with the same knife, and placing it on its point, put it into the mouth of the man who had cut himself. On in- quiring the meaning of this ceremony, I was told that in consequence of the knife having drawn the blood of a chief, it became tabooed, and no one could use it till the taboo was removed, which was taken off by this H 3 102 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. operation. I remember on another occasion when these same lads were with us at the Waikato, one of them was playing with the pipe of a slave, who had been lent to our friend by Taowira. " Take care," said Ekao, the slave, " you don't break that pipe." " What if I do?" returned the other. " Why, your mat will hardly be payment for it?" Such an answer would have caused his instant death in former times, and nothing could have saved him; as it was, the young chief seized him by the throat, and one of his companions sprang at him with a knife, and would have passed it through his body had not the wife of our friend who arrived at the moment rushed in between them and prevented it. I heard her shrieks, and ran out. She was abusing them with great vehemence, and keeping them oif in fine style. But master Ekao himself was not at all disposed to prove an unresisting martyr ; he had freed himself from the grasp of the chief, and now stood stark naked, armed with a billet of wood and snorting at the nostrils like a bull, with his fright and exer- tion. He was a short thick-necked fellow, and the play of his muscles would have afforded a fine treat to a student of anatomy : however, this was not the time for indulging such speculations Ekao's life was in danger, and approaching the chief I quietly dis- armed him of the knife, at the same time tellig him, if he wanted to fight, to go down to the pah and not create brawls in the presence of a white woman. Upon this they again laid hold of poor Ekao and tried to drag him away, but he again shook himself free ; and as I would suffer no fighting there, they HELP YOURSELF, AND OTHEES WILL ASSIST. 103 agreed to wait till his pakiha master canie home, when they threatened to take vengeance. But by that time their anger had evaporated, the pipe, the cause of the uproar, having been smashed to atoms, as the slave would never have dared smoke it again. Finding the lads persisted in refusing to carry our luggage without such exorbitant payment, we made bands from the flax plant and strapped it on our shoulders. At first they set up a loud laugh, but when they saw how heedlessly we walked away with our burden, they came running after us, making signs for us to put it down. This was what we expected, and we therefore spurned them from us and continued our course. I overtook one of the lads, who had started the first thing in the morning, sweating under the burden of a large wooden chest and other things. " What ! " said he, " poys no goodee ? Tarn te poys' proory eyes." I am unconscious at what seminary he acquired these elegant expletives, but I think they were the only words meant for English I heard him utter. We had jogged along for about four miles, and had passed through three wide swamps, when we stopped for a breathing spell, as my burden did not weigh less than eighty pounds. Whilst resting, the remainder of the party came up, and one of the lads stole through the fern, and secured my bundle to his back. I was advised not to notice him, as we had still seventeen or eighteen long miles to go, and over no pleasant road, otherwise I had made up my mind to carry it myself, to show we were independent of them when we chose ; but as the lad H 4 104 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. voluntarily assumed the load without stipulation for payment, I considered it good policy to let him groan under it. We made another halt on the top of a high hill overlooking the country, and here the natives gave us a specimen of their mode of fighting. They dashed about in a zigzag course from right to left, still advancing, going through the motions of loading and firing, but never staying for an instant longer than to discharge their pieces. I inquired their motive for such tactics, and they answered, because they would not stand as marks for the enemy to fire at. During their manoeuvres they kept up a hideous yelling, and made the ugliest grimaces, a practice which they adopt either to conceal their own fears or to endeavour to frighten others. But all this mock display subsided on the man who was with us turning his back and stooping and calling out to them to fire ; they instantly dropped their muskets, and sneaked away, looking as sheepish as possible, and never again attempted to show off before us. The wind was blowing strong from the eastward, and the fire we had kindled to heat some water communicated to the fern on the hill side, which spreading with great rapidity, the whole surface was presently in a state of conflagration, blazing, roaring, and consuming every thing before it. The very soil was burnt and embrowned, and yet a few weeks after the fern was as thick as ever, and not the slightest trace of fire could be distin- guished. We regained the settlement at Wakatiwai on a Sunday evening, and nearly all the natives were engaged in church service, Many a curious ENGLISH IMPUDENCE. 105 eye was turned towards the strangers as we passed through the Kianga, but no one quitted his devotion to come to us. I arrived first at the settlement, having outstripped my companions by nearly half an hour. Anxious to arrive at my journey's end, some- what fatigued, and not wishing to be troubled with questions I could not answer, I took no notice of the various parties I met, and it was quite laughable to witness the curious expression of their faces at my dogged nonchalance. I have often reflected since at the cool impudence we English possess, and at the way we treat these poor fellows. Fancy one or two comparative pigmies traversing a country of savages, knowing nothing of the language, entering houses " sans ceremonie," helping themselves to whatever might be in their way, the natives looking on with deferential awe, bullying chiefs upon their own land regardless of consequences and yet this I have often done without a thought of my arrogant assumption. In leaving behind you a few trifles, which to the natives are important gifts, you become so sensible of the disparity between them and you that you lose all sense of having intruded. Never- theless, I almost wonder that the natives submit to it : nothing but an intuitive perception of our intellectual superiority would induce them to do so, as it is well known that they do not lack physical capabilities. There are several hot springs in the vicinity of Wakatiwai of sufficient heat to scald a pig or a fowl ; there is also a spring of a similar nature in the neighbourhood of the AVaikato river, but I was prevented seeing it. 106 ROV1NGS IN THE PACIFIC. A vessel was observed lying at anchor about six miles lower down the estuary than where we rested for that night, and at early dawn my companion and I started ahead to secure, if possible, passages to "Waihao. Instead of proceeding along the beach, we made a straight cut of it ; passing through several plantations of potatoes, maize, &c., we met several natives, but merely exchanged the usual greeting of " Te na ra ka kui." "We reached the beach in time to secure a passage ; the master was loosing his topsails when we hailed: we entered into the necessary agreement, and about half an hour after our fellow traveller came up with his mob, hurrying along the beach ; and when he came on board, we learnt that he narrowly escaped a serious " fracas," as one par- ticular point of the beach was tabooed, and had it not been for his excellent knowledge of the language, he certainly would have been plundered of every thing he had. It was well for my companion and me, that in our innocence we avoided this danger. The settlements of the natives are numerous in this dis- trict, and it appeared, to my judgment, to be the best cultivated and the most picturesque of any I had yet seen in New Zealand. Whilst waiting at "Waihao for an opportunity to get to the Bay of Islands, a Scotch gentleman pro- posed that we should join him in an excursion up the Thames river. Having nothing better to occupy our time, we agreed to do so ; we could not engage natives to row for us, and to obviate this difficulty the projector of the excursion constructed a pair of paddle-wheels to attach to his whale-boat by an iron CONSTRUCT A STEAMER. 107 crank fixed to the axles. Having got all things ready, off we started, amidst the cheering of those assembled to witness the first " steamer " set going in New Zealand : two of us sat one on either thwart, facing each other, and worked the crank, whilst the other steered spell and spell ; and steaming work w T e found it : but we contrived to propel her along as fast as four men with oars could have done. Both wind and tide were against us, which rendered it very fatiguing; notwithstanding, we overtook a canoe paddled by fourteen natives. We excited the utmost astonishment all along as we went, the natives crowding down to the beach to gaze at us : nor did we cease in our manful exertions till past midnight, when symptoms of exhaustion began to betray themselves. We had laboured thus hard in the expectation of gaining the residence of a white man, where we hoped to have received good cheer, and to have refreshed ourselves ; but the night closed in so dark, we could not distinguish objects. When we imagined we were somewhere near the spot, we shouted, and heard responding cries ; but though we continued to hail, they were not repeated, and there being many sunken rocks between us and the shore, with rugged, sharp projections, we thought it more prudent to proceed higher up, where it was free from these ugly customers, and beach it for the night. Accordingly, we did so ; and whilst the others were securing the boat and getting out the traps, I wnt in search of a roosting place, and to collect drift- wood for a fire. The coast, on either side the estuary save here 108 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. and there, as I have before remarked, rises almost precipitously from the water, and to the eye it ap- pears covered with an impenetrable scrub. I selected, for our night's encampment, a sandy spot at the foot of a gorge or chasm of the hills, beneath the wide- spreading branches of a noble tree ; a torrent came down this gorge at times, as was evident from the accumulation of lifeless trunks and branches of trees which must have been swept from above but now there was only a trickling stream. We soon had a roaring fire under weigh, and when we had taken off our wet clothes and hung them up to dry, wrapped in our blankets, we contrived, by the aid of some tea and cold food we had with us, to pass a very agreeable and profitable hour ; and shortly after, the comfort- able glow occasioned by satisfied hunger and a cheering fire prepared us for slumber, and we sank back on our beds of leaves, and became lost to all fatigue in a deep sleep. I was roused from this comfortable state of insensibility by an extraordinary jabbering, and on raising myself discovered an old long-bearded Maori, who was talking and gesticulating in a very energetic strain. On finishing his address, of which I did not comprehend one syllable, he retired to the distance of forty paces and sat down. Scarcely awake, unable to fathom the meaning of this mysterious proceeding, and not being willing to disturb my com- panions, I beckoned the old man to me again ; with much hesitation he came, and having enlightened me with a similar display of unintelligible oratory, once more placed the same distance between us. Deeming there must be something more in this than met the A FRACAS. 109 eye, with considerable reluctance I awoke my com- panions, and apprised them of what was going on : our Scotch Archimedes, who was best acquainted with the language, hastened to the old fellow for an explanation ; but he came back much faster than he went, and urged us to lose no time in getting every- thing into the boat and launching her, for we had been sleeping on tabooed ground, and run the risk of being robbed, or atoning for our error by cumpulsory payment. In the blissful confidence of my ignorance, I curled my lip in scornful pride, and vowed I would neither submit to robbery, nor yield payment ; but still bearing in mind that " discretion is the better part of valour," I did not neglect the advice of pre- paring for immediate departure. It was only half- flood at the time, and our boat was high and dry ; it required the united exertion of our utmost strength to move her, and the old man would not come to our assistance. By slow and painful degrees, moving foot by foot, we had just got her into the water, when down came half a dozen strapping fellows, calling on us to stop and speak with their chief. Conjecturing pretty shrewdly to what the conver- sation might lead, we politely declined the invitation, and were shoving off, when lo ! the chief made his appearance, followed by ten or twelve more ferocious- looking fellows ; and all our labour was destroyed in an instant, for in that period of time they darted into the water and hauled us aground. As we showed fight, the chief darted at our commissariat basket, and carried it off: this was affecting us in a vital part. Archimedes was grappling with a fellow who had 110 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. seized his coat ; my East Cape companion was defend- ing the boat with a spare oar, and, not to be worse than my word, I sprang at the fellow who had ravished the food : but nothing daunted at seeing me coming, he let go the basket and caught me by the throat. He was of gigantic size, and from his daring had acquired amongst Europeans the nomenclature of "Terror of the Thames." Of course this we did not know at the time, or perhaps it would not have improved my nerves. As it was, I did not feel much alarm at his grip, but only thought of freeing myself from it, and of recovering the basket. I therefore grappled him firmly by the sides, burying my fingers just above his hips, and then with a rush and quick movement of the foot gave him a spin which seemed to astonish him. The tattooed varlet was too heavy to cross- buttock : he stood staggered for a moment as if in amazement how so light a man, in comparison, could play him such a trick; but his confusion did not last: throwing off his mat, he waved his arm over his head, and, with a savage dance and fiendish yell, prepared to come at me again ; and at the same time I had the satisfaction of seeing his followers running to arm themselves with heavy pieces of drift-wood that were lying on the beach. I thought it was all up with me ; but determined to die with my face to my foes, I turned my back to the water to avoid being surrounded, and stood in boxing attitude to receive the charge. We had a fowling-piece in the boat, and I shouted for it, intending to exercise the butt end of it on the chiefs head ; but every one had his own work to contend with. And now, whether DANGER OF NOT KNOWING TABOOED SPOTS. Ill excited by a generous sort of sympathy at seeing us three so stoutly resist his mob, or from unwillingness to shed blood, or impelled by what other motive, the chief suddenly restrained the attack, and called out for peace ; observing that " he was fond of the pakihani (white people), for they were brave men, and he did not want to quarrel with them." He said " we had been doing wrong, he could not make us understand, but he would send for a countryman of ours, who lived not far off, and he would explain;" and he requested to be allowed to stop with us in the boat till our countryman arrived. We could not object to this, and we also allowed a slave to ac- company him, who, however, stripped himself, and sat under cover of the chief's mat, to show that no treachery was contemplated ; but lest any thing of the kind should be attempted, we pushed off a few yards from the shore, and there rested on our paddles. In a little time we saw the Englishman approaching ; the very party whose house we had been attempting to make the evening previous ; and we had absolutely slept upon the beach, within a quarter of a mile of his abode. He regretted the predicament into which we had got, but it was out of his power to assist us : we had profaned the taboo of a most sacred spot, and he recommended us to make the best settlement we could now we had got the chief in our power ; for which reason he would not ask us to stay breakfast, as the natives would be sure to avail themselves of the opportunity for plundering the boat. I was for pitching the vagabonds overboard, and giving them a swim, but this was not listened to ; and the 112 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. chief was rather moderate in his demands, as he only required a dollar to appease the broken sanctity of the taboo. I was opposed, upon principle, to giving them any thing ; but Archimedes, who was arguing the point, fumbled in his pocket till he succeeded in catching a stray half-crown, which, when the chief saw, he seized it with the greatest avidity, and jumped over- board, followed by his attendant ; but, in making their exit, they contrived, with the adroitness of a London pickpocket, to abstract from the boat a cannister of sporting powder, and all our stock of tobacco. We did not detect our loss at the time. Another chief came running down to extort payment for our infringe- ment of the taboo. We saw a fellow stamping, shak- ing his fist at us, and distorting his features, the deep furrows of his tattooed face imparting to it an expres- sion of tiger-like ferocity : but we only laughed at him, and continued our work at the crank. We heard that he threatened to pursue us in his war canoes, and vowed to break up our boat and take every thing from us ; but his anger was mollified on seeing how cleverly his comrade had rifled us: perhaps, also, the astonishment excited by our steamer operated in our favour, as they spread a report of some white men having visited their place in a boat propelled by two grindstones. It was a fortunate thing for us, perhaps, that the powder was stolen, and not less fortunate that the gun was withheld from me when I shouted for it; as we discovered, on rounding a projecting point, a large pah, with about four hundred natives in it, who all turned out to gaze at our wondrous mode of journeying. There were three large canoes lying on the beach, TWO CHIEFS BLOWN UP WITH GUNPOWDER. 113 which they could have run into the water in an instant ; so that if we had escaped the first party, we should have been nicely seized by the second. There was a sandspit at the foot of the salient bluff, which was covered with myriads of ducks : we paddled quietly till within a short distance of them, and three times I snapped the gun at them ; and in searching for the powder to prime the nipple, we first became conscious of our loss. The natives had followed on the cliffs, watching our proceedings, and the fall of one of these ducks was to have been the signal for an attack upon us ; as this sandspit, owing to some battle that had been fought there, was venerated more highly than the spot where we had presumed to take our night's repose. After grinding a few miles, we reached the location of another white man, where we obtained kai-kai-te (breakfast). A few days previous to our visit, a party of natives were sitting round a fire in this neighbourhood, one of the chiefs being seated on a keg of gunpowder ; another chief called to a slave to hand him a keg for a seat, which he fetched, and passed to him over the flames ; a few grains escaping from the plug-hole, the keg exploded, and communi- cating, caused the explosion of the other. The slave was blown to atoms, and the two chiefs were burned from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, but neither was killed ; and they were picked up by their horror-stricken followers, and carried to the Caranga. It so happened that at this time two English gentlemen were staying in the vicinity, one of whom was a medical man, and often rendered little VOL. I. I 114 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. acts of kindness to the natives in the way of his pro- fession ; and now a whole body came to him, craving his assistance for their mangled chiefs, promising him great payment if he would but cure them. The doctor went, and though they were fearfully mangled, he did not despair of eventually restoring them. He was unceasing in his attention, and one of the chiefs showed rapid signs of convalescence, when an Atua or spirit chief paid them a visit. These chiefs possess wonderful power over the people, and are held in great awe and reverence by them ; they pretend to gifts of vaticination, and their curse has been known to wither the limbs, and affect the lives of their wretched vic- tims. Such is the extraordinary influence acquired by the craft of one savage over the fears of another. I have seen living instances of the effect of these maledictions, and Europeans who have watched the result, without being able to shake the credulity of the ignorant wretches, have assured me that without apparent cause a sound and healthy limb has gra- dually withered and contracted, until the fountains of its strength have dried up, and it has hung an useless incumbrance to the body : so much for the effects of the imagination the power of mind over matter. I wonder if the power exercised by these chiefs is what the learned term mesmerism or animal magnetism. The Atua chief, willing to display his superior knowledge, and to give the lie to the prog- nostications of the Englishman, addressed the chief, who was going on most favourably, saying " What fools these foreigners are ! The medicine man tells you that you are doing well that you will recover the INFLUENCE OF ATUA CHIEFS. 115 fool! the finger of death is already upon you, and when the moon reaches the full to-morrow night, you will be called to leave us." Short as the notice was, and unprepared as the poor fellow was for death, he had such religious faith in the prediction, that when the doctor came to visit him in the morning he was in a high fever; he refused all medicines, and at the appointed time, like a true disciple, he yielded up his spirit and fulfilled the prophecy of his priest. Under other circumstances, the doctor would have been persecuted for having administered medicines to the defunct that did not produce the results contem- plated ; but he turned the tables upon them, and attributed the chief's death to his obstinacy in refusing all medicines on the morning of the night when his spirit fled to join his father's in the happy planting grounds. But it was not without reason that the doctor became troubled with doubts and anxieties, for he had just cause to fear that the other chief would slip through his fingers, in which case, instead of receiving payment, in all probability he would have to make it. The doctor having expressed his doubts to us, we proposed accompanying him in his matutinal visit, with the idea of ridiculing the natives out of their superstitious belief. Our enter- tainer at breakfast could speak the language well, and we all set off in a body to destroy if possible any mischievous impressions that might have been created. As we neared the pah a regular concert of crying and groaning burst upon our ears, and the disheartened doctor gave vent to a groan in sympathy. We hurried as fast as we could to the supposed scene I 2 116 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of death, and came upon an extraordinary tableau. The friends and followers of the roasted chief had assembled in a body to cry over him before he died ; they had formed themselves into two deep semicircles, squatted on the ground in front of the hut where the poor fellow lay, his head resting on the lap of his father, who was mingling his tears with his son's, condoling over his premature fate. The young chief was stretched on some of their softest mats, and a piece of calico spread upon pliant wands was laid over him to prevent anything from touching his body. A more melancholy scene could not be well imagined, as the renewed burst of grief from the old man caused the others to break forth in louder lamentations. It was in itself enough to have killed the young fellow. We immediately commenced pulling the party from their sorrowing positions, making signs of dissatisfac- tion at their behaviour, and giving them to under- stand that they ought to laugh rather than cry, and do all they could to cheer the spirits of their wounded chief, instead of endeavouring to depress them ; and by dint of laughing and joking we got them to laugh too, even the patient himself "grinned horribly a ghastly smile;" and much to his credit the young Medico shortly after this effected a complete cui*e. Having to contend against wind and tide our pro- gress was not very rapid, and at night we had only gained the mouth of the river. Although it was not late we resolved to wait till morning before prosecuting our journey further. We beached our boat opposite a large Kaianga, and some of the natives came to our assistance in securing her, and in conveying our A RELIGIOUS THIEF. 117 things to one of their huts. We purchased some fish from them, and after supping, as the place was cold and cheerless, the hut proving the deserted tenement of some English trader, only partially roofed and the sides nearly demolished, we spread our blankets to the best advantage to keep ourselves warm, and endeavoured to sleep away the time till morning. The moon was in that quarter influencing neap tides, and on awaking we saw that the tide was already ebbing, and unless we immediately got our boat into a narrow channel about fifty paces from where she lay, there would be no chance of our getting off till late in the afternoon, which, as we were short of food, and the natives not too much disposed to be hospitable, was a thing to be avoided if possible. We made many attempts, but it was of no use, we could not move her. We then asked the natives to assist us ; but no, the day was Sunday and they would not stir. They pointed to the sky and shook their heads in a very deprecatory manner : all argu- ments and entreaties were vain, not a foot would they budge to help us; but I could not help noticing one fellow who seemed to pay more than ordinary at- tention to the boat, and deeming his affectionate re- gard not without its object, I determined to watch him, and in a little time when he thought he was un- observed, I saw him lean forward, and with the speed of light snatch something from the bottom of the boat and conceal it beneath his blanket ; he then stood as cool and unconcerned as possible. At this instant my companions returned with some pieces of wood they had gone to fetch to serve as I 3 118 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. rollers to get the boat off, and walking quickly up to this dexterous gentleman, I gave him a smart rap on the shoulder. " Come, old fellow," said I, " give us a shove." In his surprise he stretched out his arm, and down tumbled a knife, the article he had stolen ; he hastily attempted to conceal it with his foot, but I pushed him on one side, and pointing to it asked him what he meant by that ? He was utterly confounded, and the expression of his face was such that it quite pained me to look at him. I therefore only shook my head, and let him understand that as the day was not too sacred for him to steal, neither could it be for him to render us assistance, and picking up the knife I desired him to help us. He seemed thankful to escape so easily, but our exertions were of no use, and we were fain to content ourselves in the best way we could till afternoon. The delinquent withdrew himself as speedily as possible, and we saw him no more. Nga Maori are keenly alive to the degradation of exposure ; one of them, on being reproached by his tribe^ as a thief, took his fowling-piece, went out, fired it into a keg of powder, and blew himself to atoms. At the time I .write, this fact is well known to all the European residents at Port Nicholson. The observance of the Sabbath by the natives generally at this place was very punctilious. It is a privileged day amongst them both for slave and chief, and nothing seems to delight them more than assembling together in large bodies to chant and sing. I have lived to discover that one of the leading prin- ciples in a New Zealander's character is, "nothing ESTIMATE OF NEW ZEALANDEES' CHAEACTEE. 119 for nothing." They will entertain you with all hos- pitality when there is a prospect of their receiving any thing in return ; they understand well the prin- ciple of " venturing a sprat to catch a mackarel," and will overwhelm you with trifles and proffers of service if they see you have plenty of goods with you, and at the time they make you presents, they are scrupulously particular in expressing they don't require payment for them; but should you take them at their word, and omit to make them presents in return, they will not fail to jog your memory, and moreover will not cease to torment you till they obtain three times the value of the property if bartered for in the regular way. This will account for the ready hospitality we received when travelling on the east coast : so long as we had tobacco, we distributed it freely ; but when we came to the last halting-place, having no more tobacco to give, the chief accompanied us nine miles to seek payment for the few potatoes we partook of. And now these religious varlets being precluded by the observances of the day from selling food, so neither would they give us any, and we were compelled to undergo a fasting vigil against our will. They knew we intended leaving when the tide served, and as they could not receive payment on a Sunday, they would not risk the chance of a gift. We made some tea, and boiled the remnant of our potatoes, and whilst rioting on this sumptuous fare, the chief and several of his mob paid a visit to us. We handed him a pot of tea, but he declined taking it, and so did several others to whom we offered it; but we could i 4 120 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. observe that it was with reluctance they did so. The place had been tabooed against their taking food in it, and in presence of their chief they did not dare to transgress. On the night previous, when no chief was present, two or three natives who happened to be in the hut whilst we were supping did not scruple to despatch our remnants. Probably the secret of this taboo was, that as they would not administer to our wants, a sense of shame prevented their receiving any thing from us, for I never heard of an instance of a taboo proper having been violated. On a signal for prayers, we got rid of our mob, and as we were enjoying our "otium cum dignitate," a messenger from a pah a mile or two higher up, came and made signs for us to accompany him ; we could not make out his meaning, but he became so earnest in his gesticulations, that I jumped up and followed his guidance, pi'omising to send word if better fare was to be obtained. The guide led the way along the beach for about half a mile, and as some reddened pieces of wood stuck in the sands indicated the preposterous imposition of the taboo, we had to strike off and make a circuit through a native plantation. A great many huts and potato stores were scattered about the plantation, and at its termination we came to an extensive pah, where I was met by a white man, who had been residing amongst the natives for many years. We learnt subsequently that he was an escaped convict from New South Wales ; be that as it may, he be- haved to us with gentlemanly feeling, set before us the best his house afforded, and on our leaving loaded us with provisions, and would accept no remu- " WASTEFUL BILLY." 121 neration. He has enforced some respect from the natives; and I may here mention as illustrative of his character an anecdote related of him. He had travelled to a port occasionally touched at by whalers, with stock of his own rearing, which he bartered for prints and calico. On his return he wished to com- mence trading with his new property, but the natives would not deal on old terms, and as he had no other way of convincing them of his sincerity, he took the whole of the cloth and set fire to it, for which reason he now goes by the name " Billy Maomo," which being interpreted means " Wasteful Billy." On stepping into the boat to prosecute our journey, I was seized with a violent sick headache, and be- came so totally helpless, that my companions had to endure all the fatigue of working at the crank. I was so dreadfully convulsed with pain, that I almost imagined my hour was come ; and gratefully relieved were my companions when they assisted me ashore at a sawyer's station on the banks of the river, where we intended passing the night. I had a violent fit of vomiting, which left me without the power to stand, and with scarce the strength to speak : the sawyer and his mate made a bed for me on the floor, and there I lay in the most agonizing pain I ever experienced. Towards morning, a lethargic torpor came over me, and when I recovered from it I was free from pain. This sawing station was on the skirts of what had once been an extensive and very strongly- fortified, pah, now nearly deserted, and falling to decay in all directions; nor do I wonder at it, as 122 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the land on either side the river is nearly level with the water, and after heavy rains must be com- pletely swampy. The tide rises nine or ten feet, and Avhen we wanted to start, we found it was low water, and the boat fast on the slimy bank, cer- tainly the most unctuous and adhesive in its nature of any banks I have seen. With much difficulty, we got afloat at half-flood, but had scarcely pro- ceeded 300 yards, when we were aground in the centre of this much misrepresented river. The low, marshy, uninviting aspect of the country on either side ; the extent and unwholesome appearance of the unsightly, slate-coloured, fat mud-banks ; and the turbid, muddy stream, wriggling its course between them, offered anything but a tempting prospect to the enterprise of the settler. We were detained nearly an hour before we were afloat again, and it required the most watchful navigation to prevent our being continually aground afterwards. This exposed us to the chance of having to paddle a considerable dis- tance against the tide, a benefit of which we were by no means desirous, as it sets with great rapidity, not less I should say than five or six knots, in the strength of the current. We proceeded between thirty and forty miles up the river, the character of the country continuing still the same, low, swampy, and un- wholesome, with no appearance of pasture or timber of any size. The vale of level country, or the " Valley of the Thames," according to some, is from twelve to twenty miles in breadth, and extends to 120 in length. The mouth of the frith or estuary is studded with islets, as I noticed at the com- VALLEY OF THE THAMES. 123 mencement of this chapter ; and it varies in breadth from fifteen to thirty miles, until, at about thirty miles up, it suddenly contracts ; a tongue of land runs out, dividing it into two parts : the northern and most insignificant branch receives the waters of the river Piaka ; and the lower, or southern one, those of the boasted river Thames. We regained Waihoa just in time to secure a passage in a vessel bound to the Bay of Islands, whence I shortly after shipped for Sydney, not over delighted with what I had seen of this " Granary of the Southern Hemisphere." 124 CHAP. VI. Harbour of Waikato. Directions for taking the Bar. Canoe Excursion. Excitement of the Natives. Anecdotes. Pro- ceedings regarding Adultery. A Mission for Port Nicholson. Get under weigh. A Night Descent into the Forecastle. A Meeting with the Chief. Seizure of the Vessel averted. Leave the Harbour. Mount Egmont. Cook's Straits. North Part of the Middle Island. Port Nicholson. The River " Hut." Erroneous Representations and Dealings of Land-sharks. Waitimatta or Auckland. A Stroll to Ma- nukao. Lady Franklin. Return to Sydney. Remarks on New Zealand. "A - - - way ! Away ! away ! the white man's here, The morn shines bright, the stream runs clear ; Row, brothers, row ! cheer, brothers, cheer ! Te na ! " Refrain of a New Zealander's Boat-song. December 26th. I AGAIN started for New Zealand on a general coasting voyage. We endeavoured to make the harbour of Waikato on the west coast direct ; but a series of contrary winds drove us so far to the northward, that we came between the North Head and the Three Kings, and so worked down the coast, opening all the harbours and bays, till, after a tedious, procrastinated passage, we reached the wished for port. The coast, as we beat our way, presented every where the same sterile, savage appearance : hill rising abruptly above hill ; and bold HARBOUR OF WAIKATO. 125 repulsive cliffs, relieved at intervals by sandy wastes. The harbour of Waikato cannot be approached with a westerly wind, as it is a bar-harbour, with only two fathoms of water on it at low ebb ; and the entrance to the bar is rendered difficult and hazardous by two sandspits, running in contrary directions, causing them to overlap, the one tending northerly, the other to the southward. From a long continu- ance of south-easterly winds, the bar was almost smooth when we sighted it ; a leading wind also favoured us ; but as we were all strangers to the place, and without charts, the captain took the pre- caution to sound the passage in the boat before taking it with the vessel. The report of the sounding party, being favourable, when the southern extremity of the north sandspit bore by compass E.N.E., and the southern extremity of the south sandspit, E. half X., we ran in E. by X. half X., and were carried over the bar in safety. We en- countered a heavy swell, which, fortunately, did not break. Owing to mismanagement, our whale-boat, towing astern, got capsized, and we lost a set of oars ; but this would not have happened if she had been properly hauled up. I was disappointed in the harbour : it is safe enough after you have passed the bar, but it is of no extent, and not fit for vessels over 200 tons burthen. The South Head is a frown- ing, black-looking mass, called " Woody Head ; " it is covered with a dense growth of dwarf trees: the North Head is a sandhill, being the termination of a dreary waste extending for several miles, with scarcely the shadow of vegetation to be seen ; and 126 BOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. when the wind prevails, and blows hard from the southward, the air is filled with showers of drift sand, exceedingly unpleasant both to sight and respiration. No sooner had we come to an anchor, than the deck became crowded with natives, who created the clamour and confusion of Babel. As usual, a white man, demi-uncivilised, was residing in the pah ; and not far distant, two of the London missionaries, with their families, had taken up their abodes. The white man came off to us and proffered his services ; and as I was desirous of engaging four boys to con- vey me up the river, I requested him to negotiate for them. Plenty were found willing to go, but demanded payment beforehand, which I would not give, and as they persisted, I bundled them ashore. I wanted to make all the haste possible; and knew that by prepayment they would take their own time. I would recommend to every one travelling in New Zealand, if they can manage it, to withhold compensation till services are performed, and proportion the reward according to the merit of the parties. The natives have no notion of the value of time. About seven o'clock in the evening, four of a party whom I had dismissed came off in a light, swift-pulling canoe, stating their readiness to go with me ; but that if I decided on going, I must start at once, while the tide served. I imagined that there was some con- certed plan in this, and that it was their intention to rob me ; but not liking to mention my suspicions, I privately armed myself, and stepped into the canoe. The tide only affects the river for about seven miles, and you then have to contend against the force of CANOE EXCURSION. 127 the current, which sets towards the ocean at about the rate of four knots. My " boys " (it is customary, but I don't know why, to call all New Zealanders travelling with you boys or lads, though their being fathers may have fully justified their claims to man- hood. I suppose it is upon the same principle that the French continue to call grey-headed waiters " gar- ^ons," or that we apply to sexagenarian riders the title of " post-boys *') my " boys " behaved very civilly, and continued pulling the greater part of the night. Towards morning, as they complained of hunger and fatigue, at the same time expressed their willingness to persevere in their exertions if I wished it, I con- sented to their securing the canoe, and reposing on the banks of the river for a few hours : I gave the poor fellows some of the salt beef I had with me, and their curiosity respecting it was quite ludicrous : they turned it over, examined it in all directions, smelt it, and at length appealing to me, made use of the monosyllable " Cow ? " The missionary resi- dents had some cattle at their stations, which, I suppose, gave them the idea. The country, generally, was much as I had left it, nor did I see any great improvement in my friend's farm. His natives had all quitted him, and he now found it a difficult task to procure workmen from amongst them, although for many years they had looked up to him as something more than mortal. The invasion of their land by so many European immigrants had created a painful sort of consternation amongst the natives, and many had drawn towards the European quarters to ascertain their manoeuvres. 128 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. I could not afford a long sojourn with my friend, and on my return to the vessel he accompanied me to receive the goods I had brought for him ; we could only get two natives to assist us in working the canoe, those engaged by me having returned imme- diately. 'When about one fourth of our way, we met two large canoes, well manned and containing several chiefs. Observing how slightly we were at- tended, and that we ourselves were using the paddles, two of them, to show their respect, instead of ordering their slaves to assist us, stepped themselves into our canoe and aided in working her down. One of these chiefs was a kind, benevolent-minded man, and recog- nized as a missionary teacher. When in his heathen condition, some of his comrades taunted him with the fact, that his sister, the widow of a chief of high caste, was in the habit of granting personal favours to a slave. Few chiefs in New Zealand would have endured such ignominy "and yet have refrained to kill." Loth to shed the blood he could not restore, he warned the slave, and threatened him with death if hejrepeated the offence: this had its effect for a time. But, as fatalists would say, " the wretch could not resist his fate." The chief was again ap- prised that the slave continued to visit his sister. Still reluctant to take life, he again admonished him, and extended his mercy even to a third warning. But this only emboldened the slave. He again renewed his visits ; and the fourth time the chief was taunted by his compeers, who bitingly told him that his slave- brother was at that moment in a certain hut with his sister. Not a word did he utter in reply. Gather- ANECDOTES OF NATIVES. 129 ing his mat around him, he hastened at once to the place designated, and raising his tomahawk severed the slave's head from his body. The chief's sister made no attempt to save her paramour ; but when his lifeless body lay stretched before her, she threw herself upon her knees, and with the wildest pathos implored him " not to cook his head" a token of the most contemptuous indignity. As an instance of the high sanctity in which the chiefs are held, and of the fearful nature of the penalty inflicted on those who have the boldness to desecrate the taboo, I may here notice that on one occasion, when this friend of mine was travelling in the country, he halted for the night at a friendly settlement, and partook of the common fare. The season had been one of scarcity, and the crops, such as they were, not of good quality ; the slaves in con- sequence fared badly. At the time of my friend's arrival at the kainga, a basket of superior koomeras or sweet potatoes had been set aside and tabooed for the especial use of a young chieftainess. One of her female attendants, prompted by hunger and a favour- able opportunity, as she imagined, had the temerity to take some of these koomeras for her own consump- tion. In the morning, on my friend's turning out, he observed a pool of blood close to the hut in which he had been reposing. On asking the meaning of it, he was told, " Oh, nothing !" they had been killing a pig. Having heard no noise, and missing the woman, his suspicions were raised, and on further inquiry he learnt that the hapless creature had been detected in the theft, and was subsequently dragged outside the VOL. I. K 130 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. hut and slaughtered. When these poor wretches are doomed, they meet their fate with absolute indif- ference, never giving vent to a murmur. Formerly it was the custom, when a native com- mitted adultery with another man's wife, to place the transgressor, naked and unarmed, about thirty paces from the injured party, who was provided with three spears, which he was allowed to hurl at the offender. If by his agility he could ward them off with his hands, he was so far safe ; but if the injured husband still remained unsatisfied, tomahawks were placed in the hands of either party, and they were suffered to fight it out on equal terms. Poly- gamy was common amongst them ; but the custom is fast disappearing before the labours of the missionaries. On regaining the " Heads," we had an opportunity of witnessing how different the proceedings in a case of adultery are now. Instead of suffering the accused party to run the risk of being speared if innocent, or of escaping by his address if guilty, a general meeting was convened by one of the tribe going from place to place ringing a large bell ; at which summons upwards of two hundred assembled to be present at the trial. The husband stated his grounds of suspicion, and brought forward witnesses to prove certain appear- ances which tended to furnish tolerably conclusive circumstantial evidence. Judging by the countenance, I should say the accused was guilty ; but he was a " master of that rhetoric the learned call rigmarole," and after he had surmounted the first embarrassment of his position, he pleaded with such success, that he was honourably acquitted, and pronounced " not A MISSION FOR PORT NICHOLSON. 131 guilty." Had the verdict been the other way, his punishment would have been expulsion as a church communicant, a disgrace much dreaded. Intending to proceed to Port Xicholson from the Waiksto, one of the missionary residents requested that I would give him a passage with four of his lads, that he might on his return overland have an oppor- tunity of visiting tribes who had not as yet received any European minister of the gospel amongst them. The subject had been mentioned to the Waikato natives, who expressed their approbation of the design, and their readiness to raise a contribution to defray the expenses of the mission. Having consented to take them on their own terms, the natives collected about 200 baskets of potatoes, between one and two pounds in money, three old knives, two half-worn cotton handkerchiefs, and the lid of a shaving-box. I told them it was no wish of mine to deprive them of articles we had introduced amongst them, and that the potatoes would suffice. " Xo," said the chief, " it is our free present, and all that we have to give ; if you set such little value on the goods you now reject, we will go on board and take from you all articles of similar description." The missionary gentleman ex- plained that it would be treating them with indignity to refuse any part of their gift, and I then accepted it as it was made. We had to wait a long time before a wind offered for our getting away, and when at length we made the attempt, just as we were on the bar, the wind died suddenly away, and we had to drop anchor to prevent driving on the Xorth Head. Shortly after it came on to blow hard from the westward, K 2 132 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. compelling us to return to our old anchorage. It was fortunate, perhaps, that we failed on this occasion, as it soon afterwards became known ashore that two of the seamen had smuggled two slave women belong- ing to the chief on board, and had contrived to conceal them from the knowledge of any one ; and had we succeeded in getting out, the probability is, we should have been met by the natives in their war canoes, and the vessel would have been plundered. On resuming our berth, the chief suppressed all outer show of know- ledge or resentment till the dead of night. The crafty savage, accompanied by a single attendant, then stole softly on board, and suddenly stood over the sleeping men as they were lying in the forecastle. He aroused the delinquents by a gentle grip on their throats, and their horror may be imagined, on starting from sleep, to find themselves in the clutch of the justly incensed chief, whose eyes were glittering with ferocity. I was told the fellows were completely paralysed, and made no attempts at defence or resistance; not that either would have availed, as the two athletic savages could have de- stroyed with their tomahawks all in the forecastle before they had recovered from their fright. The chief enforced silence by waving his tomahawk with one hand and placing the fore-finger of the other on his lips. The trembling women sank speechless to the deck ; and the guilty seamen, with nervous trepidation, opened their chests and made signs for the chief to take anything he pleased as payment. He weeded them pretty decently, taking from them their Sunday clothing, their whole stock SEIZUEE OP THE VESSEL AVERTED. 133 of money, amounting to between four and five pounds, and every other serviceable article. Seizing the women by the hair of the head, he then dragged them up the forecastle ladder, and forced them to descend into the water by the chain cable, and having secured his booty, he quietly got over the vessel's side and paddled after the women in the same noiseless manner he had come on board. Not a soul but those in the forecastle knew anything of this summary proceeding, the news of it being carefully kept from the officers and myself. Of course no such occurrence could have taken place had a proper anchor watch been main- tained ; as it was, every soul lay buried in sleep. The chief administered a severe flogging to the women, and, not content with rifling the seamen's chests, the opportunity for plundering the vessel with an apparently justifiable motive was too great for his cupidity to withstand. I had been passing the evening with one of the missionaries, and whilst wending my way back to the vessel, a native crept cautiously to me, and made me understand that the chief intended plundering her that night, and, by dint of broken English and broken Maori, acquainted me with all that had taken place. My astonishment was only equalled by my indignation, and I feed my informant to put me on board without disturbing any one. " All hands " were asleep, and I alarmed the captain not a little by my information : the mate was sent to summon all hands on deck, and I went up and harangued them on the egregious folly which had placed our lives in such jeopardy. We could K 3 134 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. distinguish an unusual number of canoes hauled up on the beach, which added to the excitement of the crew. They begged me to give them arms ; but I told them " No ! I was determined to sell my life as dearly as I could in case of an attack ; but as they had reduced me to this predicament, they might get out of the danger the best way they could." The fellows remonstrated in vain, and I went below, leaving them to adopt what mode of defence they pleased. Through- out the night they relieved each other in patrolling the deck with shouldered handspikes, and the danger for that time was averted. At daylight, putting two pair of loaded pistols in my belt and wrapping my coat over them, I went ashore to face the chief. He did not deny his intentions, but pleaded justification and the customs of the country. Suddenly I covered him with a pistol, and asked, " what could save his life if I chose to move my finger ?" Pie started ; and as I replaced the pistol in my belt, I bade him be cautious, for that we were all prepared and ready to mark the chiefs that should lead the attack. " But," said he, " I can bring ten to one." (l Never mind if you can bring forty ; you won't live to enjoy the plunder, even if our deaths follow." And I asked him, " Suppose one of your slaves came on board and robbed me, would you think it right in me to come and set fire to your house whilst you were sleeping; and, on your attempting to make your escape, to knock you on the head?" " Ah ! " he ejaculated, " that's very good talk ; my thoughts never came to me in that way ; but I know something of the wisdom of the white men, and am LEAVE THE HARBOUR. 135 not such a fool as to throw away my life for a trifle : and so, from this time, if your men do wrong, I will let you know ; and if my men do wrong, come you and let me know." To this I agreed, and we parted good friends ; but during the remainder of our stay, we did not relax in our state of watchfulness. No hostilities were attempted, and the gentlemen of the missionary station were of opinion that it was more talk than anything else ; although they admitted, that a year or two back nothing could have saved the vessel. 'Tis true enough that the chief had us all in his power beyond resistance, if he had chosen to exercise it, the night he surprised the forecastle ; and I can- not divine the cause of his forbearance, unless it was ignorance of our unguarded state, and the de- sire to appear simply in the character of a com- plainant, if he found us on the alert: be that as it may, I would not repose implicit faith in their safe conduct. We were detained so long in the harbour for want of a favourable wind, that I began to despair of getting out again ; early in the morning, a flaw of wind would prevail from the land for a short time, which might have sufficed to carry us over the bar ; but then if it died away again, as it invariably appeared to do, it would have been impossible for us to have escaped the rollers. Almost reckless from long de- tention, we at last resolved to run the risk, and, taking advantage of the customary flaw, with the first grey of the morning, we happily effected our escape, and secured a good offing before the wind fell light again. K 4 136 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Kawai is the next harbour to the southward, after you leave Waikato, and is of a similar nature ; no other presents itself until you reach Port Nicholson. With our usual good fortune, we had to beat the whole of the way to Cook's Straits ; and Mount Egmont, the highest land in New Zealand, was continually in sight : in some charts it lias been estimated as 14,000 feet above the level of the sea, in others only 9,000 ; it is crowned with an eternal diadem of snow, which, at times, was all we could discern, glistening above the clouds : in more favour- able moments, the whole of its bold outline would be revealed, again to be shrouded frorn our sight by a veil of mist. Cook's Straits separate the northern from the middle island, and is dotted by several small islets. Kapiti, the largest of them, seemed to me to be a barren rock; it is used, in the season, for a " look out," or whaling station, for which I have heard it said it is admirably adapted : the other islets are mere clumps, scarcely worth no- ticing. The northern extremity of the middle island appeared still more broken than any part I had yet visited; but from assurances of those holding stations on it, the land is generally of a more level character, and the soil of a better quality than that of the Northern Island. It does not, however, possess so many good harbours; and the climate is more frigid; for it is asserted that a range of hills intersects the island from north to south like a back-bone, which, for the greater part of the year, is covered with snow. Port Nicholson is situated in nearly the south extreme of the Northern Isle; and the PORT NICHOLSON. 137 navigator is somewhat startled, on entering it, to see a belt of rocks stretching, apparently, across its mouth. Many vessels have at first been scared away by their unexpected rencontre, conceiving they had mistaken the entrance, not deeming it probable that any harbour existed beyond such foes to plain sailing. It was blowing half a gale, and we had to beat our way in almost dead in the wind's eye, as sailors have it; but we found plenty of room to work. The country around is a succession of barren abrupt hills, or broken bluffs chilling to contemplate. The township of Wellington is situate on the western side of the harbour ; it bears some resemblance to Korora- rika, but is larger in extent. There is a semicircular sweep of sand, curving like a horse-shoe, backed by high unavailable ridges supporting a growth of thick impervious scrub. The houses are built without order or regularity, on the narrow flat between the sandy beach and these ridges : they are of various orders, at present the "Maori" being the most prevailing. There are some of the composite order, a cross between Maori hut and Irish hovel, plastered with mud inside and out ; and again, there are a few of the ornate cottage style, built of weather-boards. The first attempt at location was made at the eastern extremity of the harbour, and the settlement was called Pitonia or Thornton ; but the site was found too open and exposed for shipping ; and though a motley group of hovels and huts at first rose quickly into being, they were as speedily abandoned, as the spot selected for the foundation of the capital proved to be the treacherous bed of a dried swamp ; and when the rains 138 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. set in, the flat being below the level of the beach, with high, acclivitous, wall-sided hills inclosing it in the rear, the rush of waters was so great, that the unfortunate emigrants found themselves inundated, and for some time were compelled to communicate from house to house by means of canoes. The river Hut, about which so many glaring mis- representations have been made, is a miserable stream- let, just without the deserted township of Pitonia ; it is navigable for small boats or wherries for about half a mile, or from that to a mile, perhaps, but it then doubles like a hare, and is choked with sand-flats ; it deserves no other name than a watercourse, in fact it is no other, winding its way through an opening in the hills, its resources derived from their drainage. The land on either side this gorge is densely wooded with valueless timber. Where small patches have been cleared by the desperate exertions of the beguiled settler, or through the financial scheming of the land- jobber, the fecundity of the soil has been proved by the luxuriance of the vegetable crops produced ; but the expense of clearing an acre of land to render it fit for cropping is so heavy, that no poor emigrant could stand it. It is asserted that this gorge opens to a fine vale, extending all the way to the " Thames ; " but of course I only vouch for what I see. I was likewise assured that the land trending to the north-west, called the Taranake district, at the foot of Mount Egmont, is felicitously provided with every requisite for the agri- culturist. Granting that this was true as regarded the land, it strikes me that the expense of convey- ing the produce to a market would more than equal PORT NICHOLSON. 139 its value. There is no harbour for shipping near the Taranake district ; and here I may mention, once for all, that the whole of the harbours on the west coast are bar harbours, dangerous and uncertain ; the winds prevail from the westward for the greater part of the year, and if you succeed in entering safely, you cannot rely on any time of effecting your departure, which ought to be an item in the estimation of every trader speculating on the west coast. The harbours may not inaptly be compared to rat-traps ; at times offering tempting baits and facilities of entrance, but on wanting to prosecute your voyage, you unexpect- edly find yourself a prisoner, with the gilt taken off your [gingerbread. Vessels frequently get wind- bound in Port Nicholson, and, as I heard an old settler say, " It is a regular trap for fools." It pos- sesses no exports : it is not a good flax district, if flax could be rendered a payable exportable commodity, which, from every experiment I have seen or heard of, I am inclined to doubt. Whaling ships rarely ap- proach it ; the cash is being drained from it, as it is incapable of making other returns ; and, notwith- standing the pains taken to conceal the fact, the me- chanics and labourers are fast leaving it for a more O auspicious field for their exertions. It is subject to continual rains and heavy gales, common at all times of the year, from the south-east or north-west ; and my own experience leads me to confirm the statement made by several masters of merchantmen, that three days in the week throughout the year are above, rather than under the average opportunities for discharging or receiving cargo ; and to crown all, it is subject 140 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. to earthquakes, so vibratory that many have declared they would never think of erecting a brick house, for fear any casual shock should bring it about their ears. Port Nicholson appears to me to be a focus for the concentration of every wind passing over New Zea- land; it is eternally blowing a gale, and the most obstinately prejudiced and interested were compelled to cry out, " there really was no standing these cursed winds." The communication from place to place being chiefly by water, the accidents occasioned by the capsizing of boats in sudden squalls are fright- ful ; and the tumbling and rolling of the surf on the beach is such, that when a boat with ten persons in her was swamped within a few yards of the sand, and although the water was only breast-deep where the accident occurred, one only escaped with life : the bodies of the nine unfortunates repose in one common grave. We were instrumental in saving the lives of nine or ten individuals, who, but for our being anchored a considerable way out, must have perished ere assistance could have reached them. It is laughable though pitiable to see the readiness with which the residents try and cheat themselves into the belief that Port Nicholson is a paradise ; if they have a continuance of fair weather for three or four days, nothing is heard but congratulations. " Isn't this beautiful?" "Isn't this lovely?" "Charming weather ! " " Port Nicholson will do yet ! " are some of the exulting exclamations of those who ivish to be deceived. It is stated that Port Nicholson belongs to a company in England, who were supposed to have paid a fair equivalent for it to the natives ; but DEALINGS OP LAND-SHARKS. 141 this is denied, and private individuals have had prior possession of places which the company lay claim to. There has been a great deal of anarchy and confusion in the settlement, nor do I see any likelihood of a speedy arrangement of the matters in dispute. No individual will give up his claims merely because a body of scheming speculators, far away from the scene of action, choose to assume a right to this or that portion of territory. Allotments have been put up to public auction in England, and needy adven- turers, allured by the descriptions given of the place and the prospects held out, have purchased to the full extent of their means, anticipating (can it be believed ?) that on their arrival in the new country they would be able to lease their property at an annual rental exceeding in amount that of the purchase-money. The consequences can be foreseen on the true state of things staring the luckless speculator in the face, dispelling his dreams and dissipating his extravagant notions. Some, unable to bear up against the utter prostration of their aerial visions, have yielded to drunkenness and despair ; others have appeared over- whelmed with stupor ; and I have conversed with others who have been loud in their execrations of those who had caused their ruin ; and there have not been wanting men of influential names, con- nected with the company at home, who have pro- ceeded to Port Nicholson, and lent themselves to the cheat palmed upon the public. They have both bought and sold land, at second and third hand, at enormous prices, thus creating a high fictitious value for the land, to beguile others, and induce them to lay out 142 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. capital on these money-begetting investments ; and so soon as the bait has taken, the crafty projectors of the scheme have sold their interests and departed, leaving the stultified purchasers to ponder at leisure on the changeful shadows of their bubble. Private letters remitted by these schemers to their friends in England, containing the most fallacious flourishes, have been published in the journals of the day, and no means have been spared to tempt others to em- bark in the same fortunate speculation. Hundreds have done so upon the chances, a large proportion of the buyers remaining in England, waiting till some subsequent period to resell their bargains, with the intention, I presume, of retiring from the cares of business with the happy results infatuated mortals ! The specious accounts sent home lately of the high prices that allotments here and there have fetched, will, I have no doubt, cause many to send out powers of attorney for the disposal of their allodial invest- ments, and it would not be surprising if land in Port Nicholson became like stinking fish, every one eager to get rid of it, but no one willing to buy ; but apart from this, the cry is that no man is certain of his title to land purchased of the company, that its rights have not yet been ascertained, and that they have in their sales exceeded all limits, in direct viola- tion of orders from government ; even so, I cannot see that the poor emigrants will be any the worse, as it may tend the more quickly to direct their energies into a better channel. The native residents of Port Nicholson appear to me to look upon the proceedings of the European WAITI3IATTA OR AUCKLAND. 143 settlers with a moody and jealous eye. It never entered into their imaginations that, when they sold their land, they were to be restricted from locating in any part they pleased. It is true that they have courted the residence of Europeans amongst them, but more with the idea of introducing one or two into each settlement, to assist them in trading and teaching them the Avays of white men; and one or two in a kainga was all they ever wished for, so that they might be dependent upon the chief for pro- tection, and the superior power remain vested in him ; but it never formed part of their contempla- tions that swarms of Nga Pakihani should come and drive them from their dwellings when they stood in the Avay of their convenience ; and every fresh arrival of immigrants seemed to me still more to excite their astonishment and discontent. On leaving Port Nicholson we stretched away to the eastward until clear of the straits, and then skirted the coast till AVC made "Waitimatta, a harbour in the estuary of the Thames. There are a number of small islands grouped about this part of the estuary which shut it in from the sea ; but it is open to the seaman-like objection of being exposed to too long reaches. It is here that the government have determined upon fixing their capital, and to my regret, instead of preserving for it the euphonious native title of Waitimatta, they have bestowed upon it the pawkish name of Auckland. The harbour is of considerable extent and includes a succession of bays, styled Avith wretched taste Mechanic's Bay, Cooper's Bay, Official Bay, Commercial Bay, &c. 144 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Commercial Bay will be the emporium for com- merce, as it possesses greater facilities for landing or shipping goods than any of the others. Much diffi- culty arid inconvenience attend this operation at pre- sent, for at low water shiny mud flats extend nearly half a mile from the shore, and it id only at the top of high water that you can land cargo, unless you go to the expence of dragging trucks to the boats, the trouble and expence of such a proceeding requiring no comment. If New Zealand should ultimately become a place of importance, of which I have my doubts, this evil might be easily remedied by throw- ing out jetties, as there is not the same surf to con- tend with that curls its crest upon the beaches of Port Nicholson and the Bay of Islands. Waitimatta is the only place I have seen in New Zealand adapted for the establishment of a commercial town to any extent. There are no native residents in its imme- diate vicinity, owing probably to the scarcity of fresh water, and the poverty of the soil. I allude more particularly to the point called Waitimatta, where the ground is covered with a sort of vitrified scoria. The absence of any commanding eminences to overlook the interior, and serve as stations to guard against surprise, may also be taken into ac- count, as in their feuds the natives take more credit to themselves for destroying an enemy by treachery than in open fight, and in selecting a site for a Kainga or settlement, they rarely neglect the deside- ratum of a look-out station ; but be the cause of their absence what it may, the European residents, I should think, would have no cause to regret it. A STROLL TO MANUKAO. 145 I walked from AucklancHo a place called Manukao, the harbour of which is on the west coast: the distance is seven or eight miles, and in crossing this portage the country opposed no impediments for overland communication of any description ; it is of a gently undulating character, and the soil, after leaving the capital, appeared rich and fertile, but there was an evident want of running streams, as I called at two or three native plantations for a drink of fresh water without being able to procure any, and on promising a lad sixpence if he would bring me some, he darted off, and after a prolonged absence returned with a little in a calabash, which looked as if it had been ladled out of a muddy puddle. There were no settlements till very near Manukao, but the place must at one time have been thickly peopled, as to the right and left of the country I traversed were the remains of native fortifications, which must have called for much labour and time. Advantage had been taken of high conical eminences rising from the plains like molehills, the summits furnishing a bird's-eye view of the surrounding country. These they had cut into flats or different landing places, so that if driven from the lower defences, they could have retreated upwards, and by withdrawing the means of ascent, rendered the further progress of their invaders nearly impracticable, particularly if each step or flat was surrounded by a strong palisade according to the present custom of their pahs or for- tified places. Upon each flat were several deep pits, which I imagined were intended as snares, or, what is as likely, they may have been used as granaries or VOL. I. L 146 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. depositaries for their food and valuables in case of a siege. Many of these abandoned eminences were covered in places several feet deep with the heaped- up shells of the " pipi, " a sort of fresh-water muscle much used by the natives as food. It cost me four hours' severe exercise to make these observa- tions, and two or three times I was on the point of giving up the attempt. The ascents were diffi- cult, although the soil had crumbled, rendering them less perpendicular, and I was aided by shrubs and fern, which have sprung up since the desertion of these admirable fortresses. I must not omit to observe, as a proof of the facilities of land carnage in this district, that as I was pursuing my way to Manukao, an orderly on horse- back came galloping past me ; and on arriving at the harbour, I found Lady Franklin and her female servant, with two or three gentlemen in atten- dance. Her Ladyship having unfortunately sprained her ancle in a former exploratory expedition, had been carried on a couch by a party of New Zealanders; and I do not know a place in New Zealand where the country would have afforded a similar means of gratifying her thirst for novelty and adventure. I afterwards heard that his Excel- lency, Governor Hobson, had received an invitation from the mission station at Waikato, to be present at the annual examination of the natives. Lady Franklin, being at Government House, begged to accompany his Excellency, and there being no wheeled vehicles in the country, several chiefs con- tended for the honour of carrying her, saying, that REMARKS ON NEW ZEALAND. 147 as she was a great chieftainess, none but chiefs should carry her. I suppose that the jaunt was tedious ; and it being late in the evening when the party arrived at the place of embarkation, the Lady Errant bivouacked with her attendants under tents which they carried with them, while the governor returned to Auckland, with the intention of rejoining the party early next morning; but whether the exertion had proved too much for him (his Excellency being in feeble health), or he had not been accustomed to bush travelling with ladies, instead of appearing himself, an orderly came with an apology for his absence, and stating that indisposition would prevent him from fulfilling his intention of bearing her Ladyship company. Lady Franklin is the wife of the governor of Hobart Town, and has acquired much notoriety from her masculine spirit of travel and adventure. From Waitimatta we took the northern passage through the islands of the harbour, touched at the Bay of Islands, and then again wended our way to Sydney. I am no geologist, botanist, or agriculturist, and cannot judge of the mineral resources of New Zealand. Botany is an amusing pursuit for the leisurely re- searches of superfluous talent in old countries ; but I should have thought that our Pharmacopoeia and alimentary lists were already replete with the agencies of life and death ; nor do I see that civilized life, with all its aids, is extended to greater length of days than savage life. Many are of opinion that New Zealand will make a fine grain country : this may be ; but my opinion is that it would be a much L 2 148 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. finer one if its bogs and marshes were filled up by its tumultuous jumble of hills. This earth of ours must have been sorely troubled with the colic when New Zealand sprang into creation. It bears marks of having been upraised from the deep by the might- iest throes and wildest eructations : it possesses some good harbours, valuable as whaling stations, and it has limited capabilities of furnishing an export of timber. So long as the British government main- tain an expensive establishment, and capitalists go there, the settlements around head-quarters will thrive, but an inversion of the order of things will take place ; those who brought wealth will lose it, and the poor will become rich ; the hard-working labourer and the astute store- keeper will be the principal re- cipients and holders of the money introduced into the country. I certainly am not favourably im- pressed with the unrevealed resources that are yet to be brought to light in New Zealand, and am of opinion that our Australian colonies would have benefited far more if we had suffered any other nation than our own to colonize it. Some dread that it might have nursed a naval power that would one day compete with our own, and interfere with British commerce in the Pacific. It is true that our formally taking possession will keep others from it, but it will prove rather an expensive act of diplomacy, or I am greatly mistaken. 149 CHAP. VII. Bound on a wrecking Expedition, &c. A Squall. Howe's Island and Ball's Pyramid. Norfolk Island. Nepean Island. Philip Island. Sight the "Kapid" Reef, but a Gale coming on, stand for Rotumah. Roadstead of Rotumah, the Island described. A Crater converted into a Sepulchre. The Cocoa-nut Tree. Natives. Their Government. The Division of the Island. The winning and the losing Side. The Power of the Chiefs, and whence derived. A singular Custom with their Virgins. A Marriage Festival and atten- dant Ceremonies. Punishment for Adultery, &c. Attua Chiefs, and their Mode of proceeding to recover the Sick. Interment of an Infant. Painful Infliction on the bereaved Mother. Women always the Sacrifice. Kava, its Pre- paration. Sensations of those about to drink, and its sub- sequent Effects. Mode of propitiating an offended Chief. Play Houses. Burial Grounds. Sports at Night. Vanity piqued. Disease of the Country. A Method of taking Fish. Islands of Rotumah. " Though far away from sunny shores, I toss where angry ocean roars." June llth, 1841. LEFT Sydney Head on an in- tended speculative voyage to various islands in the Pacific, and to search for a shoal on which the brig Rapid was wrecked when on her route to China. The brig had been cast away upwards of six months, but it was asserted by the captain of her, that he had buried between four and five thousand dollars in the sands, which he firmly believed would remain there, even should the wreck be utterly washed away. Con- L 3 150 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. vinced of his good faith, we purchased the wreck and all thereto appertaining. I received directions where to find the money, and the latitude given of the reef was 21 40' S.; longitude, 174 28' E. The people made their escape in two small boats to the island of Rotumah ; they did intend trying to effect a landing at some of the Teejee Islands, but the savages gave chase to them, which induced them to bear away for Rotumah. The captain carried with him his writing- desk and a considerable sum in gold ounces, which, owing to some jealousy excited between the chiefs, was subsequently taken from him ; and he gave me a hint that if I arrived there before the American whalers put in for refreshments, I might recover a good deal of the money. As this jumped with my intention of bartering supplies for bone and oil I did not lose sight of it. June 21st. Encountered a very heavy squall from the south-east, attended with hail and lightning. The electric fluid, called St. Elmo's fire, ran along the yards, and encircled the mast-head with a halo of mystic light. The superstitious fears of the seamen were somewhat excited ; and whilst I was admiring the phenomena an intensely vivid flash of lightning burst upon us, which was immediately followed with darkness so profound, that for a moment I thought I had been deprived of sight. The greenish white glare seemed to dissolve in smoke as it was swallowed in the inky atmosphere blacker than night; and the peal of thunder, which shortly succeeded, was louder than if a park of artillery had been dis- charged above our heads ; the wind howled in concertj HOWE'S ISLAND. BALL'S PYRAMID. 151 the sea rose and dashed its foam over the deck like a snow-storm; and then the surcharged clouds again opened and treated us to such a pelting shower of hailstones, as compelled me to beat a retreat to my berth in double quick time. June 24:tk At dawn this morning sighted Howe's Island and Ball's Pyramid ; the former when bearing E. N. E. of us distant eight leagues, loomed a huge rock, in shape like a saddle ; and Ball's Pyramid, which is about seventeen miles to the south-east of Howe's Island, resembles the pointed spire of a church. Howe's Island has been tenanted for the last few years by three Englishmen and their wives (native women of New Zealand). They have cultivated some patches of land, and have amassed a considerable sum of money, so I hear, by supplying whalers when cruising on what is called the " middle ground," with pigs and potatoes. There is no anchorage off the island: the landing-place for boats is on the north-west side ; but as it continued to blow hard from the south-east I did not venture to land. Had these voluntary exiles been sent to the isolated rocky islet by a mandate of their rulers, what interest and compassion the dreadful hardship of their case would have excited in many a sympathising bosom. July 2nd. Last night, shortly after the moon had risen, we observed land on our weather bow, which we knew to be Norfolk Island, an island rendered terrible to evil-doers from its being a penal settlement, escape from which is next to impossible. Many a hapless wretch, doomed as the penalty for his crimes to work the remainder of his days in irons, L 4 152 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. cut off from the society of all save abandoned outcasts like himself, has doubtless felt in its full force, as he approaches this prison, the words of that terrific in- scription, " He who enters here, leaves hope be- hind." And of a verity I never saw a spot better calculated to create such an impression. At dawn we made the northern phase of the island, and its whole extent, in length, lay stretched before us. It appeared as if it were a desolate mural rock, its summit crowned with miniature hills, partially covered with a low verdant scrub, a belt of rigid fir trees running along the topmost ridges. My knowledge of the pur- poses to which the place is turned may have influenced my feelings, but I thought, as I surveyed it from the deck, that no spot on the globe was better adapted for inspiring sensations of utter lonesomeness and desertion. About the centre of the island on the north side, a stream of water discharges itself over a ledge of rock, which is called the " cascade ; " near to this is a landing-place for boats, but by no means a pleasant one. Wishing to see the interior, and if possible to obtain a supply of vegetables, 1 had a boat lowered, and pulled to the rocks. A sentinel waved for me to keep at a distance, but on mention- ing my desire I was allowed to land, and the boat was ordered off till my return. The settlement is on the south side of the island, and in walking across to it I was undeceived as to its being a mere barren rock. It is about twenty miles in length, varying in breadth from three to six miles ; the soil is exceedingly rich and fertile, capable of producing nearly all the tro- cipal fruits and vegetables. There is but little level NORFOLK ISLAND. 153 land, the face of the country resembling a cluster of gigantic mole hills, the roads formed by govern- ment winding through the narrow vales at their base : the ground is covered with a verdant carpet, and every " woody hollow " is filled with fruit trees of various descriptions. On waiting upon the commandant, he received me with evident alarm ; and so far from gratify- ing me with any vegetables, he told me they were short themselves of every thing, and begged me to leave the island, as he should not feel happy until he heard that I was gone. The commandant, I was informed, had been attempting a legisla- tion different from that practised by any of his pre- decessors. Many of the prisoners had been freed from their manacles, and greater liberty had been granted to them than they had ever before ex- perienced under their penal circumstances. The return they made for this clemency was to treat with insolence those placed over them, and several at- tempted to effect their escape. One party, only a few days previous to my visit, seized a boat belonging to a brig that touched for refreshments, and got clear off with it ; but as a heavy gale sprang up that same night, it is supposed they must have perished: and before this event, another party who had been engaged building a boat for the authorities, so soon as it was completed, succeeded in launching it and in getting away. Some time aftei*, the master of a whaler out of Sydney landed at a barren island in a north-westerly direc- tion, and picked up seven human skulls ; and as they tallied with the number of those who made their 154 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. escape, it is not improbable that they reached this spot to die a miserable death from hunger and ex- haustion. The commandant admitted that the island was in a very disorganized state, Avhich will account for his anxiety to cut our acquaintance short. The island was formerly a place of banishment for double con- victed felons only, desperadoes of the blackest dye, on whom ordinary punishments had no effect. But since transportation to New South Wales has been done away with, several shipments of prisoners from England have been consigned to Norfolk Island direct ; and this may have had some effect in causing the commandant to ameliorate the condition of the pri- soners generally : but the common opinion seemed to be that they were allowed by far too free scope, and from what I observed I should think so too. Many appeared to be seeking their own pleasure, some were lolling about in apathetic idleness, and others were strolling apparently unrestrained ; and long before the sun had made his conge, we could distinguish parties of eight and ten assembled on the rocks fishing with rod and line. Now, as there are 1800 prisoners on the island, and only 160 soldiers, including officers, I should be inclined to doubt the policy of allowing them such liberty. With the exception of the wives of the officers, and those of a few of the soldiers, there are no women on the island, which tends to brutalize the prisoners to a frightful extent, and they are guilty of more monstrosities than probably they ever contemplated in the land they have been expelled from to correct NEPEAN'S ISLAND. 155 them of their crimes. The accounts furnished me by an overseer in tones of cool indifference were so re- volting that my blood ran chill with horror ; and I should be very sorry, under the existing state of affairs, to have any female in whom I felt an interest exposed even for a short time to the chance of hearing the awful details. The south side of the island does not present so sterile an appearance as the north. You catch an oc- casional glimpse of its glens and glades, and the set- tlement occupying a considerable level space running down to the water's edge is sprinkled with buildings which make an imposing show. The landing-place here is dangerous, as occasionally a heavy surf rolls into the narrow passage. Many boats have been capsized, and some lives have been lost in attempting to go out in rough weather; that near the cascade forms the only other landing-place on the island. Maize or Indian corn is cultivated to some extent, and I saw some siloes or dry cells sunk deep under the earth well stored with grain ; and I was told that garnered in this way, it would keep for years free from must or weavil. About three miles to the southward of the settle- ment, there is a small grey sandy island called Nepean's Island, with no sign of vegetation on it save two or three stunted rugged trees, and four miles still further south an almost inaccessible islet about six miles in circumference rears its craggy head ; it rejoices in the Christian name of "Philip," and we were in- formed that it abounded with wild rabbits. The weather having moderated, we lowered a boat, and 156 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. after one or two attempts effected a landing ; but this we should not have been able to have done, had the weather been at all rough. With some difficulty we ascended the cliffs, and after scrambling in various directions till we were quite knocked up, we returned to the vessel with one rabbit, the solitary reward of our exertions ; for though we saw several, they were so shy that we could not approach within gun range of them, and the underwood was so impervious it was idle to attempt following the cock-tails to their retreats. Disappointed on all sides in the hope of getting fresh provisions, we loosened our courses again, and bore away on our voyage. July \fith. It was nearly midnight when we sup- posed we sighted the north-west end of the " rapid reef." We fancied we could discern the cauliflower crests of the roaring breakers, but it was blowing too hard, and was too dark for more accurate observation. Tacked and stood to the southward till daylight. July 17th. Blowing a gale and the sea in " one wild uproar : " no boat could live in it. Have come to the resolution of standing on for Rotumah in pre- ference to beating about the reef in such impracticable weather exposed to unknown dangers. These seas have been very inaccurately surveyed, and we deem it advisable to get more hands, so that on our return to the reef we may have strength to work the vessel, and two boats' crews to work at the wreck. July 2lst. Came to an anchor on the north-west side of the island of Rotumah, a small roadstead ; and by a series of observations we ascertained the site of our anchorage to be in latitude 12 28' S., and ISLAND OP ROTUMAH. 157 longitude 177 10' E. The island is encircled by reefs, which run a considerable way out, with here and there boat passages through them. Inside the reef opposite to where we lay, the water alongside the beach deepens to seven fathoms, and if the place was of any importance my belief is that a passage might be easily widened through the yielding coral, to admit the ingress of vessels of burden. Many whalers call here for refreshments, and at present if it comes on to blow ha*d from the north-west you must slip and away, as there is no anchorage on the opposite side of the island. The south-east trade, as the wind prevailing from this quarter is called, is pretty constant from the month of April to Decem- ber ; but from December to April it is liable to in- terruptions, when it occasionally blows hard from the north-west : during the season of the south-east trade little chance exists of the wind suddenly shifting. The island is about fifteen miles long, and from two to seven broad, except at a place called the "neck," where it is only a stone's throw across. Tradition says the island was formerly in two parts, which by accumulations of sand and vegetable matter have been joined into one; it is of volcanic formation, and is entirely covered with scoria and ashes. The natives, in clearing their plantations, use the conglo- merated masses for fences, &c. There are several exhausted craters on the island, but no records exist of any eruption having taken place. At the mouth of the largest crater trees are growing, which seem to have been rooted there for ages. We endeavoured to form some idea of its depth by hurling down stones 158 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC, and fragments of rocks, but it was like throwing into empty space, for no echoing sound came from the gloomy vacuum. Some few years ago, a party of New Zealanders landed upon the island, and one of their number dying recently, his comrades carried his corpse to the mouth of this crater, and after singing his requiem and firing a volley over the body, launched it into the immeasurable depth, fancying, I suppose, that they thus afforded him speedier means of mingling with the shades of his ancestors. The soil does not seem deep, though it teems luxuriantly, and produces a variety of tropical fruits and vege- tables. Magnificent groves of cocoa-nut trees fringe the glowing white beach, and they appear to be the most valuable production on the island they answer almost every purpose of life ; the nut serves for food and drink, the husks of the fruit for clothing, cordage, &c., the wood for building and other purposes, and the leaves for thatch for their houses, brooms, &c. It possesses about two or three thousand inhabit- ants, and their appearance strongly reminds me of the description I have read of North American Indians ; they are copper-coloured, have long black hair reach- ing down to their waists, and go naked, with the ex- ception of a piece of cloth girded round their loins. Male and female are clad alike ; they have, according to our ideas, a very disagreeable fashion of lubri- cating their bodies with a yellow powder made from the root of the turmeric, mixed with oil, so that if you enter their houses, or come in contact with their persons, you quickly contract a similar dye, and it requires many ablutions before you can get rid of it; THE DIVISION OF THE ISLAND. 159 they say they use it as an antidote to the stings of mosquitoes and other insects. They are a tall race, many of the males beautifully formed, and are seem- ingly very mild and inoffensive ; they lack the energy and vigour possessed by the Xew Zealanders. The island is under the sway of a chief named Riani Kao, called par excellence the Emperor ; sub- ordinate to Riam Kao, kings are annually elected, apparently for the sole purpose of eating, drinking, and sleeping. The emperor influences the election, and the reign is but a scene of inactive feasting ; the people are bound to supply the king with provisions, and he deferentially submits the daily offerings to the emperor, who first supplies his own wants. The emperor neither in dress nor person differs from his subjects in appearance, except that he is more ordi- nary looking than usual : he is not of high descent, and it is only by dint of bravery and intrigue that he has become the head of the country. Formerly it was under the dominion of two chiefs, who divided the island, but hostilities ensuing, the defeated or losing party were made to dwell in the centre of the island, whilst the conquering or winning side occupy the two extremities. The losing side therefore cul- tivate the most fertile portions of the island, but then they are absolutely at the disposal of the victors ; and the chiefs when they are in need of pigs, yams, c. &c., send without ceremony to the van- quished party, who dare not withhold the involuntary tribute. The chiefs possess power in proportion to the number of people who reside upon the land claimed by them : they have the absolute disposal of 160 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the young women born upon their estate, and their sanction is necessary before they can be given in marriage. A very singular custom prevails amongst them : all virgins arrived at the age of puberty wear their hair cropped close, and plastered with a cement made of burnt coral and the juice of a tree which turns it completely red, or of a dull foxy colour; a stiff white ridge bristles along the forehead. The name for virgin in the Rotumah dialect is Waitage, and English visitors, with their usual success and good taste, have converted it into " white head," which is certainly consonant with the appearance the plaster gives the head. They are not suffered to brush this cement out of their hair until they are married, nor are they allowed to wear it after the nuptial ceremony has taken place. I was present at one of their marriages. The bridegroom makes a present to the chief who in- troduces the bride ; the friends of the bridegroom lay offerings of mats, &c. at the feet of the bride, and her relatives make similar presents to the bridegroom : the happy couple are seated side by side, and their foreheads and bodies are profusely daubed with the turmeric powder and oil ; pigs and fowls are killed and roasted, and abundance of ve- getables cooked; bowls of kava, a species of nar- cotic drink, are prepared, and the friends of either party are invited to the festival. If the bridegroom is a man of any consideration, certain of his friends spring up and beat their heads with clubs and toma- hawks, inflicting at times such serious wounds as to lay them up for months ; and some continue to beat their heads till the old women of the party interfere, A MARRIAGE FESTIVAL, ETC. 16 i and take their clubs from them. The newly-married man makes presents to those who wound themselves, and if they continue indisposed for any length of time, he is bound to supply them with food until they are convalescent. When the feasting terminates, the nuptial tie is complete. After they have lived together for a few days, the wife will sometimes beg the husband to leave her, and he will absent himself for three or four months, when he will then again sojourn with her for a few days, and so keep on until she is reconciled to live with him altogether : but it sometimes happens that the wife refuses to quit her relations, and the husband being equally unwilling to abandon his, they separate by mutual consent, and are at liberty to enter into a fresh contract. The girls of these dissolved matches are now free, and may act as libertinely as they please without their character being affected ; but adultery in the marriage state is punished with death, so also is the forfeit of virginity before marriage. They have Atua or spirit chiefs the same as in New Zealand, and in times of sickness these chiefs pretend to address the Evil Spirit, and exhort him to cease troubling the persons of the indisposed. Sometimes they will endeavour to pro- pitiate the demon of evil by hanging up green boughs in the house where the sick may be lying, and by assembling all the friends of the afflicted party to a solemn feast when, much hog's flesh and kava is consumed ; at other times, when the complaint is obstinate or of long continuance, they will use the most angry threats to scare the evil demon away. I was on one occasion sleeping at an inland village, VOL. i. M 162 EOYINGS IN THE PACIFIC. and throughout the night was kept awake by the most vehement denunciations. The cause of them proved to be a sick infant ; and the chief was now entreating and now defying the evil spirit ; he com- manded it to quit the body of the babe : " If you don't go," was one of his expressions, " I will level the mountain above me, till it is as flat as the spot where my house stands." In spite of his threats the child died ; and happening to return to the village at the time of its death, I staid to witness the ceremony of interment. I was invited to enter the house of mourning, and behold, it was a scene of lamentation : an old woman held the corpse in her arms, which was besmeared with red paint ; the mother and three female relatives surrounded the body, and gave vent to the most piercing yells, which absolutely seemed to vibrate with agony ; they beat their eyes with the flats of their hands till they were so swollen that they could scarcely see out of them; and at the inter- vals between the bursts of anguish they renewed pathetic supplications for the child to return. The scene forcibly reminded me of an "Irish Wake." The grave being ready, the father came into the house, and bending himself over the body of his child, he pummelled his face with his knuckles till he rubbed the skin off his cheek bones. The child was then carried out, and the very instant it had passed the threshold, the mother ceased her lamentations and suppressed all outward emotion, although just previously she had been shaking as if going into convulsions. I followed the party to the place of sepulture ; the corpse was enveloped in four or five INTERMENT OF AN INFANT. 163 fine mats, and deposited in a small excavation lined with stone, a funeral dirge was sung, muskets were fired off, sand was then heaped over the grave, and the party retired. On returning to the house of mourning, I was surprised to see preparations for a feast progressing, and from courtesy remained a spectator of the banquet. Every occasion, whether of mirth or sorrow, is seized as an opportunity for feasting ; and strange as the observance of this custom appeared to me, upon reflection, we shall see that we ourselves are guilty of many greater anomalies. Do we not feast the followers of our dead, and entertain those who assemble to wit- ness our marriages ? and if we bestow charity, do we not do so in the shape of a dinner, a ball, or a fancy fair ? How much do we sacrifice to our own appetites and vanities, which charitable feelings alone could never extort from us ? Many a man would give two guineas for a ticket to a " charity dinner " or " ball," that would not bestow a sixpence from pure benevo- lence : such is human nature. But to return from this digression. The father has expressed his grief for the loss of his child by rubbing the skin from his face ; but the mother is called upon to undergo a much more painful mark of her regret ; her beautiful long hair is cut off close to the scalp ; and her body and arms are burnt all over from the waist to the neck, and from the wrists to the shoulders. Another female takes a lighted piece of stick, which burns like a flambeau, and applying it to the body of the bereaved sufferer, scorches regular rows of spots, of the bigness of a shilling. I was told by one of the sufferers that the M 2 164 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. operation is peculiarly painful, and they are unable to lie down for many days after it, but are compelled to sleep in a sitting posture, supported by soft mats. I did all I could to convince them of the absurdity and inutility of such a practice, and they confessed that they were fools ; " but," said they, f ' it is the custom of the country, and if we did not comply with it, we should be scorned and derided." They know no such thing as " silent grief: " the more they injure themselves, and the louder the lamentations, the greater is the affection they display, they fancy, towards the dead. I noticed several women who had lost the first joint of one or both of their little fingers ; and ascertained that they had been ampu- tated to propitiate the anger of the incensed spirit, and induce him to remove the sickness with which he was visiting their friends. The women appear to be the sacrifices on all occasions. Another curious mani- festation of the power which the fear of ridicule has over them, exists in their custom of drinking kava. It is a nauseous beverage prepared from the root of a shrub in a very filthy manner : the root is brought into the house, scraped and wiped clean ; it is then divided, and young men and women with good teeth chew it till it is reduced to a pulp ; when a sufficient quantity is chewed, it is put into large wooden bowls, water is poured over it, and it is worked about with the hand, till all its strength and virtue is ex- pressed. The pulp is next carefully collected, and using it like a sponge, with it they squeeze cups full of the precious nectar, to be handed to the assembled guests. The kava cups are generally made of the KAVA. ITS EFFECTS. 165 polished shell of the cocoa-nut, and hold about half a pint. It is a most ludicrous scene to watch the parties drinking it : some toss it off with an air of heroic determination ; some swallow it as if their lives depended upon the haste with which they could get it down ; and others involuntarily shudder as they take the cup ; and the stomachs of some have been known to reject it three times before they have succeeded in keeping it down, and all this because it is supposed to be a feat of manhood, and they would be laughed at if they declined drinking. I chewed a small portion of the root by way of experiment ; but its pungent, disagreeable flavour speedily caused me to reject it. Every great chief has his orator or speaker, who presides over the preparation of the kava; and he selects for chewers only those who possess clean, wholesome-looking mouths. I never saw but one person drink it with an unmoved coun- tenance, and that was an Englishman : the old women, when invited to partake of the dreaded draught, make the wryest faces imaginable ; and all spit and sputter after it as if they had swallowed poison. When drunk to excess, it stupifies the senses, and renders the body powerless. It operates something like opium, those labouring under its effects, though incapable of moving a limb, imagining themselves monarchs, warriors, orators, &c., and they enjoy or suffer the most extravagant fancies and delusions ; when the delirium passes away, it leaves them with a severe head-ache. i- S l3 / If one of a tribe offends his chief, it is imagined that he is endowed with the power to afflict the M 3 166 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. offender's family with sickness, unless he makes im- mediate atonement, and humiliates himself to appease the chief's ire ; and the way they deprecate his ven- geance is by prostrating themselves before him with a green bough suspended round their necks, when they express their contrition and sue for pardon. The chief rarely withholds the olive branch, and the par- doned offender presents him with pigs, yams, &c., in proportion to the nature or magnitude of the offence ; and a general feasting bout ratifies the peace. Every village possesses a play-house and its own peculiar burial-ground ; the latter is constructed at the foot of a hill, by building a stone wall, four or five feet high, and filling in the back of it with sand, till a level is formed against the rising ground beyond, so that its extent is more or less in proportion to the height of the wall and inclination of the land. The bodies are only deposited just beneath the sand ; and after they have lain there three, six, nine, or twelve months, a rough, unhewn stone is placed upon the top of them, the size of the stone being regulated by the importance of the party when living. The stone over some of the chiefs cannot weigh less than seven or eight tons, and the grave- yards have the appearance of Druidical remains. The placing of these covering stones is the signal for a feast provided by the friends and relations of the deceased ; the more massive the block, the greater is the number of hands required to raise it. Thus do they furnish lasting memorials of the rank and wealth once held by those who repose beneath them. NIGHT SPORTS. 167 Owing to severe gales that visit the island during the prevalence of north-west winds, the houses are built at an extended angle, meeting a perpendicular of only sufficient height to admit of a person's entering upon hands and knees. They pay much more attention to the comfort of the interior of their dwellings, than do the New Zealanders, the floor of the very meanest being covered with mats. They have mats of a softer kind for sleeping on, and mats of a still superior quality for festivals and high occasions. Some of them, when they are about to build, enclose a space with low stone walls, two or three feet high : the enclosure is filled with earth and stone, and levelled off with fine dry sand ; upon this made ground or terrace they erect their tenements, so that in the rainy season they are always provided with a comfortable dry floor. I have said that every village possesses its play-house: formerly the natives used to assemble in moonlight nights on the sands beneath their splendid palmina groves, and practise singing, dancing, and other athletic sports till the rising of the sun ; but now they scarcely suffer a night to pass without meeting in the play-house to sing and dance. They have no musical instruments, and their songs are composed of sentences, repeated over and over again to a monotonous but not un- melodious chaunt, accompanied with peculiar move- ments of the body ; they are admirable time keepers, but I cannot conceive that they have much ear for music, for on my favouring them with one of our bounding English lyrics, the rascals said my singing put them in mind of crying. Now if I had a " beau- M 4 168 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. tiful nasal twist," like some snuffling psalm- singers that I have heard, my astonishment would not have been excited at the remark, but having a clear, full voice, my national vanity was piqued. Except on feasting occasions, very little animal food is eaten by them ; their diet consists principally of vegetables, and their heartiest meal is made in the middle of the night. The climate is excessively hot, and I imagine that the sensation of cold is scarcely known amongst them. They are subject to huge swellings of the members, called by us elephantiasis, but by themfe-fe ; to scorbutic eruptions, and to the breaking out of virulent tumours, which eat into and decay the bone. I beheld some shocking spectacles. There is also a blight, which at seasons affects the atmosphere, and many are apt to lose the sight of one or both of their eyes. To the intemperate drinking of kava they attribute most of their com- plaints ; but such is the anomalous perversity of our natures, that like our dram-drinkers, although con- scious of the evil that is destroying them, they will not refrain from it. Inveterate drinkers of kava become utterly imbecile, and their skin assumes a rough and scaly appearance, like that of a fish. Talking of fish, I must not omit to notice a peculiar way they have of catching them. At ebb-tide they erect mounds of loose stones on the coral flats, which at high tide are covered : fish seek the shelter of the crevices in the mounds, and a large body of natives provided with seines will go out, and form a circle on the reef from half a mile to a mile in circumference ; certain parties keep the nets in proper positions, ISLANDS OFF ROTUMAH. 169 whilst others shout, and beat the water with sticks, gradually closing and contracting the circle ; the frightened fish fly from one place of refuge to another, but the noise and turbulence still following and in- creasing, they dash at the nets, which, from their less turbid appearance, afford the most fallacious hopes of escape, and are takn in great numbers. There are three or four small islands off Rotumah, one of which deserves particular notice. From its singular formation it has been called Split Island ; it is as if a violent convulsion had rent the island in two, and it looks as clearly divided as if it had been separated by a knife ; only, when the island yawned, its rocky summit must have toppled into the chasm, preventing the closure of the mighty fissure ; and there it re- mains midway, wedged firmer than any arch ever spanned by man. The weather would not admit of my visiting it ; but I am told that a boat may be taken through the passage by employing paddles in- stead of oars. 170 CHAP. VIII. Sail for the Reef. Difficulty in finding it. The wrecked Hull heaves in sight. The Reef. Land in a Boat, and whilst over-hauling one Wreck, see our own Vessel fast. Sleep on the Sandspit. Apprehensions, and a narrow Escape. Load three Boats, and pass another Night on the Spit. Load two Boats, and go on Board for a spell. The Dollars discovered. Return to Rotumah. The Tamaun Tree. Native Canoes. Process of Tattooing. Circumcision. Traditionary Origin of Rotumah. Super- stitious Observances on the Culture and Manufacture of the Turmeric Root. An unprecedented Privilege. Bearings of the Island off Rotumah from the Anchorage. Particular Description of Auth Luna or Split Island. Its difficult Land- ing. A perilous Pass. Bold Action of a Native. Wea Islanders, excellent Cragsmen. A novel Egg Basket. Bird Catching. Kindness of the Wea Islanders. Landing of the Party from Rotumah. A natural Cave. A Native Banquet. Departure from Auth Luna. Attan Islet. Regain the Schooner. Their Navigator deserts them. A Row. Departure from Rotumah. ' A death in every billow raves ;' I feel the soul within me shiver To gaze upon the gloomy waves. A rocking boat mine eyes discover : But woe is me, the pilot fails ! In, boldly in ! undaunted rover, And trust the life that swells the sails." July 31 st. HAVING made all necessary arrange- ments, taken in a good supply of wood and water, and added eight hands to the crew, this afternoon we again made sail for the " Rapid Reef." "We SAIL FOE THE REEF. 171 noticed a strong westerly current, particularly when in sight of the western islands of the Feejee group, making allowance for this set. The next day we had still made more westing than we calculated on, and when we supposed we were in the position of the reef, there was no reef to be seen. We continued three days hunting for it, and I began to suspect that it might have disappeared by the same myste- rious agency that had called it into existence : that it had done its work of evil, and had withdrawn from the scene. August 8th. Towards evening the hull of a vessel was descried from the mast head, and we soon made her out to be the wreck we were in search of. The weather was very propitious, for though we had a commanding breeze there was scarcely a ripple on the waters. The hull looked like a child's toy. Both masts had been carried away six or seven feet from the deck, and she lay on her bilge apparently com- pletely out of the water, and there was not the sign of a sheet of copper on her being strained. The sight of her helplessness created sensations of a melancholy nature. A range of breakers embraced a circuit of six or seven miles, but within them we could dis- cern still water, which at this juncture glanced like a mirror ; a glistening bank of white sand was in the centre of the still water, looking like the back of some monstrous Leviathan, who was being lulled to sleep in his clear calm berth by the music of the surrounding breakers. About a hundred paces to the eastward of the bank the poor " Rapid" was lying faster than she had ever " sailed.'' On the north- 172 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. west side of this dangerous reef the breakers form a concave crescent, and if any good could attend such a proceeding, a vessel with the regular trade wind might venture to anchor in the embayment. We sailed into it and saw bottom, rocky coral, bad ground for recovering anchors. Having circumnavigated the reef we found it utterly impossible to effect a passage through the surf on its lee side, as it was one roaring mass of tumbling foam. Our only chance was taking the breakers close to where the vessel went ashore, which was nearly as possible on the south-east side. She was going dead before the wind with royals and top-gallant stu'nsails set when she struck, and she must have gone on the top of the breakers and been carried by her impetus into the shallow basin where she was now lying nearly dry. We had a boat lowered and pulled to an opening where the breakers were not constant. Watching our opportunity we went over on the crest of one, and gained the sandspit in safety, when we found the water so shoal that in many places we had to jump out of the boat and track her along. The sandspit was littered with wearing apparel, plates, glasses, bottles, empty casks, and all the debris of a deserted encampment ; old sails, can- vas, books, and nautical instruments were strewed about, and a spar remained standing supported by a triangle of muskets ; a bottle covered with net-work was suspended from the spar, and in it I discovered the written particulars of the wreck, with the account of the perilous voyage the unfortunates were bound upon. At so many paces east from the spar the dollars were buried : we immediately commenced OUR OWN VESSEL FAST. 173 digging according to directions, but not a ghost of a dollar did we find ; we then tracked the boat to the vessel. She lay completely out of the influence of the breakers, and judging from appearances nothing could disturb her, not even the effects of a violent hurricane ; her anchors were let go and her cables paid out in four feet water ; spars, rigging, &c., commingled in inex- tricable confusion were lying beneath her ; but the copper on the weather side was not wrinkled. At first I had hopes of being able to get her afloat again, but on closer examination we found her back was broken, the cargo scarcely appeared disturbed, but unfortunately it Avas not a very valuable one, consisting chiefly of Sydney beef, and bread, and bottled beer. Whilst overhauling the wreck, signal guns with- drew our attention to our own vessel, and we had the satisfaction of seeing her hard and fast with her sails shivering. She had heeled on to a sunken patch in the offing. Fortunately there was no sea on, and by backing the yards she paid off again, but it gave us wreckers a tremendous fright. I sent the boat on board with a few odds and ends as it was getting late, and returned to the sandspit, determined to remain there all night, while the vessel stood off and on. My volunteers made a screen of the boat sail, and after we had got a jovial fire blazing, which served as a beacon for the vessel as well as a comfort to us, we renewed our search for the dollars, but without success, though we worked for an hour or two past midnight. I had a demijohn of spirits with me, and as the air from our exposed 174 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. position was keen and cutting, I served out an al- lowance to each man preparatory to lying down. But not content, some of them had been slyly helping themselves, and became drunk and unruly ; quarrelling and fighting commenced, and I had much difficulty in preventing bloodshed. Scarcely relieved from this apprehension and about to close my eyes, all notions of slumber were quickly dispelled by fears of another nature. The tide was rising on us, and that with such rapidity, that I verily expected the bark would be submerged : the only two men that were sober were alive to the same suspicions, and I found them quietly watching the boat till turn of tide ; the waters came high up, but left us plenty of sleeping room, if my drunken fellows would have suffered us to enjoy it. On refusing to allow one of them to take more spirits, he went away muttering, and moped at a distance by himself, and just as we had all sunk into deep sleep, the blackguard took a keg of damaged ball cartridges and clapped it on the fire close to our feet. The explosion, flying embers, and lurid glare which lasted half a minute, were awfully startling, as we could not conceive what had happened ; one or two of the party went rolling down the bank heels over head in their hurry to escape from the unknown danger. I was very wroth, but could scarcely repress my laughter, when the great stupified bullock of a fellow pleaded in excuse " that he couldn't sleep, and as I wouldn't give him any more grog, and there was no one to keep him company, he thought he'd just have a little quiet fiz to himself." I don't know how we escaped, but fortunately there DOLLARS DISCOVERED. 175 was no one hurt, not even the ignorant originator of the alarai. August 9th. The first thing after day-light, we commenced at the wreck, and when the schooner hove in sight we had plenty in readiness, and succeeded in sending on board three boats deeply laden. One of the ship's compasses that I sent for was brought me. Took a more accurate survey, and tried again for the dollars without success ; slept again on the spit, and having written for the drunken fellows to be detained on board, the night passed without dis- turbance. August IQth. Loaded two boats from the wreck and went aboard ; re-perused the instructions about the dollars, and requested the master to try his chance for them whilst I took a spell, being much fatigued, and I advised him to work in the direction opposite to that given by the instructions. I had not been asleep an hour before I was roused up ; it had come on to blow fresh, and I was obliged to stand off the reef for a day or two. The breeze still freshening, I was not sorry to see the boat return- ing with all hands in her, and my gratification was increased when she came alongside to find that she had brought the dollars. Instead of their" being buried east from the spar, the spar was east from them, and by following my directions the first shovel struck in the ground disturbed the dollars. I never for a moment doubted their being on the reef, but instead of between four or fc five thousand we only found 2918. The breeze still increasing and blowing directly upon the reef, we came to the resolution of standing back 176 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. again to Rotumah, to land the cargo and take in a fresh supply of water, for, owing to our stock, and the increase of our crew, it was nearly expended. August \7tli. This morning we again dropped anchor at Rotumah, not exactly at our old station, being somewhat closer in with the reef. We ob- served, as we came to our anchorage, that a large vessel was riding heavily off the eastern extremity of the Island; our position was much more sheltered and greatly to be preferred. As soon as we had got all snug, I pulled on board the stranger, to see if he needed supplies. She proved an American right whaler out twenty-two months, with 2300 barrels of oil in her. "We did a little business, but water was what he principally stood in need of, and he was bound to the Curtis to try and fill up with sperm oil. It was dark as pitch when we again started for our own vessel, and blowing so fresh that on attempt- ing to hoist sail we narrowly escaped capsizing, when nothing could have saved us. Taught caution we peaked our oars and flew merrily before the gale, till we were nearly alongside, having been propelled by our wooden sails nearly seven miles. As my time was pretty much at my own command, I employed it in making observations about the Island. In my walks I was delighted with the great variety of trees, shrubs, and beautiful flowers. At every step some new floral beauty would burst upon me, glowing with the most brilliant colours; and unlike the flowers and shrubs of New South Wales, most of them possess a grateful perfume. Fruit, too, and vegetables grow in great abundance, and there are THE TIMAXU TREE. 177 several descriptions of both, which I never saw or heard of before. The Tirnanu is a tree deserving particular notice ; it is a wide-spreading umbrageous tree, with a deep green foliage, its shade furnishing a cool retreat from the noontide sun. There is a fine grove of them on the beach opposite the anchorage, which the natives are very proud of. Like all the plants and shrubs on the Island, it is an evergreen, and at certain seasons it throws out bunches of white blossoms delightfully fragrant. The natives are passionately fond of it, and with it they impregnate the oil with which they anoint themselves. The wood is hard, of a deep mahogany hue, with a beau- tiful curling and waving grain : it takes a high polish, and looks extremely handsome when worked into furniture. The native canoes are of peculiar construction. They have no trees high enough of the proper wood to form the main body of the canoe, like the New Zealanders; they are therefore built out of several pieces, which are sewed together w r ith a sort of twine, of their own manufacture, made from the husks of the cocoa-nut. They are deep and nar- row, somewhat angularly formed ; the thwarts for the pullers to sit upon are made fast to the gunwales, and, to prevent the canoe from capsizing, they have an outrigger attached. They are unsightly-looking things, wanting altogether the lightness and grace of a Xew Zealand canoe ; their paddles, too, are clumsy and heavy, and lack the symmetry and grace of the New Zealanders. There are several large double canoes on the Island, connected together by a strong platform ; and in former times, when the population VOL. I. N 178 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of the country exceeded the means of support, or it was feared that it would do so, oracles were con- sulted, and at their instigation a party would start off in one of these canoes in search of fresh land : sometimes failing in their object, they would find their way back again in a most miserable plight ; but the result of the generality of such expeditions was never known. Of late years, there have been no adventures of the kind, and these ship- canoes from their long disuse are fast falling to decay ; there are seventeen or eighteen of them upon the Island, care- fully built over to protect them from the weather. These ship-canoes are no two of the same length ; the longer one will be from eighty to ninety feet, while the smaller, answering the purpose of an outrigger, would not exceed fifty or sixty feet : each canoe has from four to five feet beam, but they have no floor ; and, looked at separately, without their stem and stern pieces, they would be taken for troughs. They are kept about six feet asunder by cross beams lashed and otherwise made fast to the gunwales of both canoes; the beams are planked over, which furnishes a deck of from fourteen to sixteen feet in breadth. Both canoes are entirely covered in, and there are small hatchways with sliding covers. "When a party has determined upon an exploring expedition, they build a house upon the main deck and stow their provisions, &c. in the holds of the canoes. Their sails are made of a species of rush marled together: in form they resemble the New Zealanders, being when set like an inverted triangle. The natives of Rotumah do not tattoo their faces, PROCESS OF TATTOOING. 179 but their bodies, particularly from the waist to the knees, are ornamented with various designs, some of them very elegant ; and when I first saw them at a distance, I thought they had got on close-fitting blue drawers. Their arms are covered with fantastic de- vices, and being desirous of witnessing the operation I induced a native to tattoo a small figure on one of mine. Very few are skilled in the art of tattooing, and I was surprised at the number of the instruments used by the operator : they are made of small pieces of tortoise-shell of different widths neatly secured to handles, and resemble miniature garden hoes, with fine serrated teeth cut in the edges of the blades, sharp as needles. Having rubbed down the nut of a peculiar tree that had been burnt to charcoal, the operator mixed with it the juice of a herb, and water to render it sufficiently fluid. Without first tracing the design, he dipped the teeth of the instrument into the mixture, and placing it on my arm tapped it gently with a light piece of wood so as just to draw the blood, and he kept changing the instrument from very broad to very narrow, as the nature of the figure he intended to produce, required. The operation is painful, at least I found it so, and I should think it must be very severe to those who submit their whole bodies to the puncturing process : but it is the " fashion of Rotumah," and the fear of being ridiculed by their companions overcomes every other dread. Circumcision is practised among them, and the performance of the ceremony is looked upon as an eventful period in their lives : great feasting is always made upon the occasion, provided by the father of the N 2 180 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. child. They do not know from what the custom has originated ; in fact they seem to possess very little traditionary lore, and what they have amongst them is generally of the most absurd description, that respect- ing the origin of Rotumah not the least so. They say that many ages ago it was only a rock, but that a man and woman swam across the sea with baskets of earth upon their shoulders and there deposited it. It grew, and from it sprang the fertility with which the island is now clothed, and this couple were the ancestral Adam and Eve of the Rotumah population. They seem to have various superstitious notions, but no religious faith, fully believing in the agency of evil spirits, but do not appear to have the least notion of the good offices of a benevolent one. They have no forms of worship amongst them. The friends of a sick party will sometimes indulge in abusive and fiery language to the evil spirit, to see if they can scare him from those afflicted ; but finding he is not to be forced away by bullying, the females, who in all climes and countries are ever ready to devote themselves to soothe the couch of sickness, try their powers of propitiation by sacrificing to the demon first one joint of their fingers and then another. I observed in my memoranda the last time I visited here, that the natives had a nasty practice of smear- ing their bodies with oil and powder made from the turmeric root. I had opportunity this time for noting further particulars : those who are engaged in planting the root are forbidden all intercourse with women, or even with their own families, and until the ground is prepared, and the business of planting is finished, CULTURE OF THE TURMERIC ROOT. 181 they abstain as much as possible from contact with any one; their food is prepared and carried to a certain distance from them, and they sleep in a house distant from the settlement, religiously convinced that if they fail in these observances the crops would not prosper. The same observances are maintained, and if possible with greater strictness when the root is being dug up, and during the time of its manu- facturing process into powder. The root, after being carefully washed, is scraped and put into a covered trough, left open at one end to admit the arm of the manufacturer, who pours in water, and works the scrapings about with a round stick till its virtues are expressed ; it is then allowed to stand awhile, when the refuse is carefully separated: after it has had time again to settle, the water is poured off, when a bright red sediment is found ; this is made into conical cakes, rather larger than an ordinary wine-glass, and dried in the sun. If the manufacturer neglects or breaks any of the regulations imposed upon him, they assert that all his efforts will prove utterly unavailing. I laughed heartily at this intimation, and they told me I might laugh, but they had tested the truth of it by repeated experiments ; hereupon I was rude enough to indulge in louder cachinnation, but it only had the effect of making them compassionate me as a fool. A London missionary vessel, in visiting the island a short time since, had left behind, with the sanction of the chiefs, some of the Friendly Island natives who had been converted to Christianity, for the purpose of using their exertions in the same cause with the Rotumah people. At present they possess no in- N 3 182 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. fluence whatever, for though the Friendly Island natives are enabled to read the scriptures which have been rendered into their own tongue by the labours of the English church-missionaries, the Hotumah dialect differs so much from theirs, that I did not hear of a single neophyte. The chiefs derided the idea of becoming missionaries, admitting, at the same time, that the Varao natives were quite harmless people, who neither " makee steal nor makee fight." The following are the bearings and distances of the three islands noticed from our anchorage. Wea Island, or Emery's Island, the latter name derived from a white man named Emery who resided there for several years, bore south-west, distant about four miles. It is high and conically shaped, and may be seen at a considerable distance. Attan, S. S. W., distant about seven miles, a small islet gently rising from a sandy beach, entirely surrounded by a reef; very difficult of access, landing bejng impracticable except in the finest weather. Split Island, or, as the natives call it, Auth Luna (the hollow stone), bore south by west, distant about ten miles. I entered a passing remark on Split Island when I was last here, and now, having the leisure, resolved to indulge my curiosity. Stepping into a canoe, with Emery as chaperone, and three natives as assistants, we took advantage of a fine clear day, and sailed for a nearer inspection of this wonder of nature. When w r e accomplished about half the distance, we observed two other canoes put out from Wea Island, and make for the same destination. We steered for the south side of the island, that we might paddle through the AUTH LUNA, OK SPLIT ISLAND. 183 "split." As we neared, the weather was so calm, that though no soundings could be obtained close to the island, and the side we were rounding rose per- pendicularly from the water, the long glassy un- dulations of the ocean laved the rocky base without creating a ripple. We approached within an oar's length of this immense rock : its grandeur imposed feelings of awe, and I could scarcely reconcile to my mind that we were in a safe position ; however, I left it to Emery, who was an experienced hand. On gaining the passage, I felt still less at my ease ; it is only of sufficient width to admit of a canoe being paddled through, and is about 200 feet in length. The two sides of the cleft correspond exactly, and at about one third from the summit of the opening a massive block is firmly wedged ; and, from its appear- ance, I am confirmed in the opinion, that in the con- vulsion that caused this singular phenomenon, as the fearful chasm was about to close, the upper part of the island tottered from its centre and tumbled into the yawning gulf, where it got immovably jammed, and prevented closer union, leaving this passage a memorial of the terrific convulsions that must have troubled these seas, and reminding man of the insignificance of all his works when compared with the grand and mighty operations of nature. The water in the passage ap- peared of immeasurable depth, and the long smooth rolling swell that swept through it seemed like the convolutions of some monster of the deep. We had only one native with us who had been to the island before, and he desired us to turn face about, that we might work the canoe through stern first, as the N 4 184 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. landing-place was on our larboard hand, and the out- rigger being on the larboard side of the canoe we should get dashed to pieces unless we shifted. I was somewhat startled, and, being no swimmer, did not altogether relish the intelligence ; but the imper- turbable coolness with which old Emery set to work caused me to suppress any observation I felt tempted to make. On clearing the passage, prepared as I was for an awkward landing-place, I was not quite pre- pared for what I saw : the island is a wall of rock shooting upwards from 400 to 600 feet high, and curving like a horse-shoe, the south-eastern ter- mination of the curve being split and riven into a thousand pinnacles and rocky needles. The passage we came through is exactly in the centre of the crescent; but instead of finding the sea placid in the " Hollow," as it was outside, it was tumbling about, foaming and seething like a boiling cauldron, roaring and dashing up the rocks as if trying to overleap the opposing barrier ; and in its retreat forming such eddies, that I momentarily expected to be shivered like the rocks around us. The whole swell of the ocean sets into this "hollow," and even if there is no breeze, the contracting points of the curve confine the rolling billows, which, in their recoil, create this dancing turmoil. "Well was it for us that the natives from Wea had paddled into the hollow before us, as they were accustomed to the island, and to land on its steep and slippery sides. The way they managed was admi- rable. They balanced their canoes so close to the pre- cipitous rock, that the lashing surge broke just under A PERILOUS PASS. 185 their bows and went roaring a hundred feet above them. Wondering what they were going to do, we noticed two of them plunge into the crest of a gigantic roller, and when it had spent itself and I expected to see their mangled remains swept back in its rushing retreat, the men were standing on the rocks high over head, smiling and nodding to us. One of them had a long rope coiled round his waist, and he threw the end of it down to us : Emery gave it to me, and told me when the next swell hove us nearly on a level with the men, to leap with all my might towards them. My amazement at this cool request was too great for utterance, but somehow I did as I was desired. Watching the favourable moment I gave a spring, and the natives who held the rope seconding the impetus, jerked me alongside them like a fish out of water ; Emery followed immediately after, aided in the same way. The man with us who had already visited the island threw himself overboard, and in a few minutes he also had secured a footing, dripping like a water sprite. The two left in the canoe lost their presence of mind, and would infallibly have been lost, had not the natives from Wea reassured them and directed them how to act. Extricated from their difficulty, they backed through the passage to wait outside till I was ready to return to Rotumah. My anxiety to witness how the Wea people would dispose of their canoes, kept me standing on the spot where I landed : it had been their intention to have brought them up the shelving ascent after us, but the sea increasing in violence put it out of their power. The tide was about half ebb, and immediately 186 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. opposite to us, on the south side of the "split," a small sandy spot became visible at times through the spreading foam left by the heavy breakers that ex- hausted their fury on a shoal or reef that extended a short distance from it. Above the sandspit the rocks assumed all the ruggedness and variety of form that they would if a mine of gunpowder had been recently sprung beneath them ; and this was the uninviting- looking shelter the Wea islanders now sought for their canoes. For nearly a quarter of an hour they remained balancing them with their paddles before venturing into the surf: at last they gave way, and I fancied they had mistaken the moment, for a roller heavier than any that had preceded it came sweeping after them, sending the canoe broadside on. Now was the time to admire their dexterity ; every man leapt out and kept his back to the lee side of the canoe, except one, who seized the stern with one hand whilst he appeared to strike out with the other. They were overwhelmed in the foam, but when the strength of the wave had passed they had got the canoe hauled up and secured in a crevice, to which, under any cir- cumstances, I should have had difficulty in clambering. There is a little soil on the summit or wall-like ridge of the island yielding a growth of coarse grass, and a peculiar variety of scrub. The natives have like- wise succeeded in rearing a few cocoa-nut trees. The ascent to a novice is rather perilous, and made me wink ; you have to wind your way up laterally, and at one point you have to pass round the salient pro- jection of a bald rock where the footing is shelving and not fourteen inches broad, the rock overhead BOLD ACTION OF A NATIVE. 187 bulging forward, while below you have a sheer fall between 200 and 300 feet in depth. I was for giving it up, when Emery took the lead, telling me it was the only dangerous spot : but then he was barefooted, and for years had been habituated to go so; the tenderness of my feet would not allow me to dispense with shoes, and the slippery soles made my case more perilous; false shame prevented my retreat- ing, but at the time I could not help considering that the object to be obtained was scarcely worth the risk. When I had sidled half way across this very awkward pass, my arms extended and fingers stretched out nervously clutching at any little un- evenness of surface, and whilst I was hesitating where next to put my foot, groping in vain for some fissure into which I might thrust my fingers, or for some root that I might grasp, I caught sight of the frightful descent, my head swam, and I was turning sick. At this moment of imminent risk, a native daringly swayed himself outside me, striking me smartly on the back as he passed : this recalled my senses, and I arrived in safety on firmer footing again. The rapidity with which this bold action was per- formed is sui'prising ; for a moment the man's body must have been off the centre of gravity, and I believe the poor fellow endangered his life to inspire me with confidence, for had I slipped when he was passing me, he would have been involved in certain destruction. From long practice the natives of Wea Island are excellent cragsmen, and we now ascertained that the present party had come for the purpose of catching 188 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. birds, and to prepare for a larger party to assemble on the morrow, both from Wea Island and fromRotumah. They have a saying amongst them, that " he who does not visit Auth Luna (the hollow rock) will die a fool." Great feasting and playing are held on occasion of these initiatory visits, and being urgently pressed by the natives to stay and witness the ceremonies I agreed to do so. I could not induce the two natives that came with us, and who had not previously visited the island, to land ; they declared that ill luck would follow them if they did, as they had brought no pigs nor any thing as an offering, but if I would allow them to go they would return in the morning with pigs, &c., and bring any thing from the vessel that I might require. I was glad of the opportunity, and away they went highly delighted. There are not twenty feet square of level land on this singularly eruptive formation ; and the only walking or scrambling prac- ticable without danger is a narrow foot track worn by the natives on the mural summit. I went to survey the " Split " from above, and had another opportunity of witnessing the coolness of nerve possessed by the Wea islanders, and their ability as cragsmen. One of them had brought a coil of plaited lines made like sennit 200 or 300 fathoms long ; they were knotted together, and the conjoint end he proceeded to make fust round a projection of the cliff on which he was standing. Approaching the edge, he bent forward and shook his. lines clear from entanglement ; and whilst I was admiring the steadiness of his nerves, catching hold of the lines he stepped down the upright precipice as deliberately as I would walk WEA ISLANDERS EXCELLENT CRAGSMEN. 189 down a flight of stairs. Eager to witness his pro- ceedings, I crawled on hands and knees to the edge of the cliff, and by lying on my stomach brought my head so that I could watch his manoeuvres. I saw him land on the rock mentioned as being wedged in the split, and recklessly scamper about in pursuit of half-fledged birds which were screaming in all direc- tions, trying in vain to escape the merciless clutches of their unexpected visitant. Having collected all the game to be obtained, he made them fast to the lines, then letting down his hair which fell to hia waist, he collected the long ends to a point above his head, which he secured by binding firmly round with grass, and immediately afterwards disappeared in some cavernous recesses. On again emerging to the light, he caught hold of the lines, and walked up the cliff with the same careless ease he exhibited in descending. The mystery of tying up the hair was explained ; he had converted it into a receptacle for eggs, and had from forty to fifty stowed in it. I don't know any other plan he could have adopted to have conveyed them up the precipice without breakage. The natives were particularly kind and considerate : they desired Emery to tell me, not to be concerned at the badness of my fare that evening, as in the morning I should have plenty of everything. They resigned a hurricane house, the only building on the island, to our use, and did everything in their power to render us as comfortable as the place would admit. By the light of the moon, which shone brilliantly, the natives prepared their bird nets. At 190 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the end of a slender wand, from six to eight feet in length, they fastened two pliant switches, which were bent into a hoop, and to this the light but strong bag-net was secured. No sooner had the moon gone down, and the birds had ceased to hover on the wing, than off they started, clambering places that to me would have been inaccessible by broad day-light, scaring the wild fowl from their roosting-places, and dexterously catching them in their nets as they darted hurriedly into the air. I trembled for the lives of these extraordinary cragsmen ; they dared passes no goat could attempt, clinging with one hand, and rapidly whirling the net with the other, as they disturbed the birds from holes and hollows in the bald precipices. The next morning proved rather rough, and it was impossible to effect an entrance to the " hollow : " the Wea people began to doubt if the party would come ; but come they did, though later than expected : they pulled round to the con- vex side of the island, where a broken ravine rendered the ascent possible: those on shore swam to them through the surf, and took their freight from them, swimming back with it to the rocks. The pigs were unceremoniously pitched over the sides of the canoes with their legs tied ; and it was ludicrous to see how the gallant fellows handled them big or little, they tucked them under one of their arms, striking out with the other, poor piggy endeavouring to twist his snout above the water : and w r hen a heavy swell met them, it was surprising to behold with what dexterity they dived before it could break, carrying the un- fortunate grunters with them. After the cargo was LANDING OF THE PARTY FROM ROTUMAH. 191 all safely landed, they then attended to the safe con- duct of the company ; girls, boys, and women, all jumped fearlessly into the water, two of the bold Wea islanders gallantly escorting each one, and occasionally giving them an arm of encouragement. Some of the bouncing huzzies did not wait for their escort, but sprang overboard, laughing with delight, and propelled themselves through the water like steam-boats. It was a wild and novel scene. Not- withstanding the pronounced impracticability of entering the hollow with the canoes, no sooner were they clear than the Wea lads took possession of them, and fearlessly paddled them over the huge swells, each canoe in its turn having a rope fixed round the stern, which was hurled to those on shore. At a favourable moment the signal was made ; with great skill the canoe was kept head on over both billows, and, as the swell rose, it was carried up the rocks, and before the drawback could affect it, a dozen stout fellows or more had hauled it out of reach of the waves, to a place where I had difficulty in simply maintaining my footing. The whole of the company did not assemble till evening, and the feasting cere- mony was postponed to the following day. There was a strong batch of us, and no shelter but the small hurricane hut before mentioned. The appear- ance of the heavens had been very threatening all the day, and, now that darkness was closing in upon us, there were unequivocal indications of an approaching storm. All hands immediately set to work, and in an incredibly short time, they had constructed several narrow houses, covered in with the woven leaves 192 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of the cocoa-nut tree, which rendered them weather- proof. Provided for the worst, they yielded them selves to fun and frolic ; kava was made in abund- ance, the red paint mixed with oil was plentifully besmeared about their persons, and singing was going on in high glee, when suddenly the heavy rain came down, and put a stop to their sports ; every one like a rabbit sought his burrow, all distinction was done away with, and our house was crowded like the rest. The storm was exceedingly violent while it lasted, the lightning was fearfully vivid, and followed by such tremendous reverberatory bursts of thunder, that it may truly be said we were electrified. But no traces of the storm existed in the morning, and the day showed calm and fine. I was invited to visit a natural cave, which Emery assured me was the greatest curiosity on the island, but that its situation was dangerous and difficult of approach. He had witnessed it on a former occa- sion ; I therefore could not see what was to prevent me from doing what he had done, particularly as my short stay on the island had rendered me less liable to vertigo, and I expressed my determination to go and see it. Some of the uninitiated from Rotumah agreed to accompany me ; but, on starting, their courage failed, and they turned back. We partly descended the ravine near which the yester- day's party had disembarked, and then, diverging to our left, struck laterally along the face of a sloping ledge of rock, utterly bare of any sign of verdure, and where a false step would have precipitated you from a height of several hundred feet into the A NATURAL CAVE. 193 sea. Having crossed this ugly spot, we descended a little, and had to win our way to a projecting angle, which contained the redoubted cave. For a few yards the path shelves, and does not exceed two feet in breadth; and, there being nothing to conceal the depth below, many a Rotumah native who had ven- tured thus far was brought to a stand-still. Before reaching the spot I had pulled off my shoes, and I accomplished the pass without pain or difficulty. But I was greatly disappointed in the cavern ; it was merely a hollow, running horizontally, no consider- able way, into the rock, and was absolutely devoid of any interesting or peculiar features. We had dis- turbed hundreds of birds in our transit, which filled the air with their shrill discordant cries ; and whilst sitting to enjoy the full novelty of our position, we saw right beneath us in the clear, placid, sky-coloured water, a large brown shark leisurely sailing to and fro ; his sharp fins and white belly every now and then appearing above the surface. It seemed as if the fellow was waiting the chance of a fall ; and his per- tinacity in remaining about the spot induced me to conjecture that he could smell us. A cluster of natives were assembled to witness our return ; they evidently did not expect to see me again. My re-appearance inspired the timid with confidence, and twelve or thirteen set off to inspect the Avonder, that they might hereafter recount their feat of daring. To the Rotumah people, indeed, such an exploit is one to be long talked of, but the Wea islanders think no more of such a performance than they would of walking along any other narrow pathway ; for when VOL. I. O 194 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the heavy rains came on during the thunderstorm, anticipating a long continuance of tempestuous weather, three of them took shelter in this cave for the night, when the road to it must have been ren- dered infinitely more slippery and dangerous, putting the darkness of the hour out of the question. About noon, every thing for the feast being ready, I was summoned to attend. A spot on the highest elevation of the island, not far from the " split," was selected as the festal scene. A slab of rock formed a natural table, and three or four feathery trees, some- thing resembling the swamp oak of New South Wales, partly sheltered it from the extreme heat of the sun ; the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree were interwoven and spread as a table-cloth ; and this was covered with junks of roast pork, birds, fish, yams, tarro, and other vegetables, with a variety of fruits all inter- mixed. Large bowls of kava were in readiness, and cocoa-nut shells of the much prized-scented oil and turmeric powder. Understanding the white man's fashion, a leg of pork and some birds, with some young cocoa-nuts ready opened, were laid before Emery and me. The table not being large enough to admit the whole company at once, the Wea people were first invited to take their seats with the young women. Each having swallowed a bowl of kava, they fell to like wolves upon the provisions, cram- ming their mouths as full as they could stuff them ; and in the midst of their voracity two of the party came round to " sope " them, as is their phrase. One carried, wrapped in green leaves, the roasted entrails of the pigs, and the other a large roasted head of an A NATIVE BANQUET. 195 awfully sanguinary look. These were presented al- ternately to every one at the table, and each took a mouthful to the full extent of his jaws, shaking their heads like sharks till the delicate morsels were rent asunder. When they had eaten to repletion, or nearly so, the females retired, leaving behind them the upper mats they had on, which were new and fine, and prepared expressly for the occasion, as a tribute for the gallant assistance rendered by the AYea islanders. The ladies had not long absented themselves when some of them returned, bearing the bowls of paint, with which they covered the whole of the men's bodies, from their waists to their necks, down their arms to their wrists. Seen at a distance they would have been taken for a bivouac of soldiers dressed in bright scarlet jackets. On the completion of this cere- mony the whole party rose, and, standing in a circle, one of them commenced a wild chant ; and, at the end of every peculiarly prolonged cadence, all would join in an extraordinary refrain, accompanied with wild gesticulation. Each of the party having preluded in this singular manner, according to seniority or rank, they retired to make room for another group. The table was again covered in the same profusion, and so it went on till all on the island had participated in the feast. Not one tenth part of the provisions prepared for the occasion was consumed, the custom being to share the remnants to be enjoyed in privacy at home. The afternoon offering fair for our depar- .ture, the gallant Wea men came to see us off in safety. They carried the canoe down the declivity o 2 196 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. till within reach of the sea's foam, and, bidding Emery and me take our seats, they waited till the sea floated the canoe above their heads, and then launched her with all their might. We descended nearly perpendicularly, but rose with the recoil ; and, under old Emery's directions, I seized a paddle, and we worked away till we had got her without the breakers, and our Rotumah men then swam to us. The islet of Attan, so named from the abundance of fruit which grows on it, called by the natives Atta, is another of those places to which the natives occa- sionally resort to feast and play. But they generally go there well provided against casualties ; for some- times, after having landed, they have been unable to get away again for upwards of a fortnight ; and on one occasion, a party of more than a hundred were reduced to such an extremity as to be compelled to eat grass ; and had it not been for the daring of the Wea Islanders they would all or the greater part of them have perished. Emery was with the party when they landed, and, not liking the appearance of the atmosphere, he urged the chief to leave ; but he had his spirit chief with him, who ridiculed Emery's auguries "and prophesied that they should have the finest of weather. Two canoes with Wea people in them, who were intimately acquainted w r ith the atmospherical transitions peculiar to Auth Luna and Attan, put off without loss of time for their own island, carrying Emery with them; but the chief persisted in remaining. For a fortnight they were encircled with such a tumultuous sea of breakers that no canoe could face them ; and in one attempt ATTAN ISLET. 197 three of them were dashed to atoms, and those in them were hurled upon the rocks, and so badly injured as barely to escape with life. Conjecturing the wretched extremity to which they must be re- duced, the Wea Islanders loaded their canoes with provisions, and, with practised skill, approached the boiling reef as close as was consistent with safety, and part of them boldly plunged into the whirling eddies, carrying the provisions for the relief of those on shore. Had it not been for this timely succour, many would have perished. No one attempted to follow the TVea people to their canoes, that being a feat of boldness and dexterity peculiar to themselves. There are two jconical rocks on Attan resembling works of art : they are shaped like two gigantic sugar- loaves ; the natives have entitled them King and Queen ; and they are looked upon as the presiding deities of the island ; and whenever it is visited by any of them, they make oblations to these insensate blocks, of kava, meat, vegetables &c., and plentifully besmear them with red turmeric. Should they fail in doing so, they say that the offended dignitaries would raise a tempest and prevent their leaving the island. Their superstition is very wilful ; for, notwithstanding the many lying predictions of the spirit chiefs, they continue to repose the blindest confidence in their pretended prescience. On regaining the schooner I received a note from the person who had undertaken to navigate her, apprising me of his intention to remain at Eotumah. At his own earnest solicitation I had taken this man from Sydney, I had conferred several favours on him, o 3 198 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. and at the last hour had advanced him cash to save him from arrest. No one on board, save himself, understood how to ascertain the longitude by chrono- meter ; and dead reckoning, where the currents were so rapid and changeable, could not be depended on. But I was so thoroughly disgusted with his in- gratitude, and his many attempts at imposition, that, bethinking me of the uncouth uneducated men I had fallen in with skippers of American whalers I put to myself the question " what should hinder my acquiring a knowledge of navigation?" Hitherto I had not sought to know any thing about it, lest it should be thought I was interfering in matters I had no business with ; but now, on the point of being abandoned by the man to whom I had always shown every attention and deference, the quicksilver in my veins rose to fever heat ; and, rather than submit to any humiliating concessions, or make one effort for the ingrate to remain, / determined to know that niyht as much of the working of time into longitude as would serve to carry us on our course : and the sailing-master heartily approving my resolution, I wrote a quiet note back to the gentleman, telling him I thought he was acting very foolishly, but as such was his purpose I should make no efforts to induce him to alter it ; and reminding him that, as we in- tended sailing at daylight the next morning, he had better lose no time in collecting any thing that belonged to him. This brought him on board ; and, after exhibiting signs of nervous restlessness, but none of packing up, he begged I would let him have a few articles, that he might not be left destitute. I could DESERTION OF THE NAVIGATOR. 199 not help smiling at the way in which he framed his request ; but, anxious to give him a lesson, I desired him to make out a list of what he wanted. It was rather a modest one, draw r n out, I believe, in the hope that it would not be granted, and he should then have a pretext of volunteering to remain. But my mind was made up: I would submit to no more trickery, or the chances of it ; and, as he had brought his position on himself, by his own double-dealing, and the attempt to practise on my fears, if he now wanted to quell his own, which were evidently con- siderably excited, he should make an express ap- plication to be allowed to continue the voyage. Slightly commenting on his notions of providing against destitution of his own seeking, I handed the list to the mate and desired him to put the articles into the boat. Completely taken aback at this un- hoped for liberality, the worthy snivelled out some- thing about giving me an order on his agent in Sydney for the amount he would owe me ; but never offered to write it ; nor would it have been worth the paper blackened if he had. Xo excuse existing for his lingering on board any longer, with a lengthened face he called the steward to get his trunks on deck. I suffered him to go over the side ; and when he was seated in the boat, seeing how wretchedly downcast he was, I said to him, " It strikes me you are not over happy in the choice you have made : if your heart misgives you, you can remain on board ; but I have lost all dependence on you, and if you do re- main you will in future have nothing to do with the vessel." I addressed him openly, as the mate had o 4 200 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. just whispered to me that he had been tampering with the crew, and had assured the men that, with- out him, in less than a week, we should be rolling in the sands. Cur though he was, he could not, for shame falter now in presence of all those before whom he had been making his boasts, and he directed the men to put him ashore. When the boat came back, a letter was handed me from him, which wound up, after much incoherent rambling, with the words, " If I had been in any other place I would have de- manded the satisfaction of a gentleman." "Oh," thought I, "no place so good as that where we are, and it is a pity you should be disappointed." Calling three hands into the boat, and taking the little skipper with me, I hastened ashore. The man of wounded honour was resting on the naked shaft of a cocoa-nut branch, and was surrounded by a mob of runaway seamen and escaped convicts. With his letter in my hand, I stepped up to this susceptible gentleman. " Is this your writing ? " inquired I. " Ye-e-e-e-s," was the hesitating reply. " Indeed ! So after you have been playing upon me by every means in your power, trying to excite disaffection amongst the crew, and doing all you could to injure me in return for the kindness I have shown you, you say, if you were in any other place you would demand the satisfaction of a gentleman. Go ! get your pistols ! here's a clear sandy beach and nobody to interrupt you." I had given the dog a fine pair of duelling pistols, and he used to boast of his ability to snuff a candle at twenty paces. " No ! no ! no ! my dear sir ; you have mistaken A ROW. 201 me altogether, that's not the satisfaction I meant; I only meant, that if we were in Sydney, we would have a little friendly explanation together in a friend's house, for I know there's somebody on board that's been running me down." " What are you talking about, man ? hasn't every thing you have done been your own voluntary act and deed ? and after having written me your determi- nation to stay ashore, finding that I don't seek to detain you, haven't you been tampering with the allegiance of the crew ? " " No-o-o-o ; I never did." " Oh, sir ! " said the men from the boat, " don't say that ; you know you came for'ard and told us that unless you went in the vessel she would be rolling in the sands in less than a week, that the captain knew nothing about finding the ship's position, and that we should be all lost." "You're a liar!" was the gentlemanly rejoinder. " Oh, I won't stand that," replied the man nearest him ; and he struck at him right and left with his clenched fists before I could prevent it. In an instant the fellow raised the heavy cocoa-nut branch on which he was leaning, and struck the youngster violently over the head with it ; and we were soon surrounded by his ruffianly gang, who were armed with sword-sticks, dirks, and bowie-knives, and in- flamed with drink, which this worthy had given them out of the stock I had supplied him with. I wrested a knife from the hand of one vagabond ; and the mate got possession of a sword-stick. We then cleared a space, and throwing the knife towards him, " There," 202 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. said I, " is one of the weapons you have innocently prepared for us; but let no man come near us, or take the consequences. And now I tell you, for the last time, there rides the vessel ; and if you really tremble to remain ashore, notwithstanding all your show, you may go aboard ; but never presume to open your lips or take upon you the slightest direc- tion as regards the vessel." " Make way there !" and the blackguards fell back with respect, evidently overawed and astounded, bad as they were, at the baseness and poltroonery of their patron. During the whole of this disturbance the natives, who had assembled to nearly the number of two hundred, maintained the most apathetic indifference ; and, like the two Kilkenny cats confined in a sawpit, we might have fought with each other till nothing but our tails were left, without their attempting the slightest interference. I sat up the greater part of the night overhauling Norie and the Nautical Ephemeris. About three o'clock in the morning a light burst in upon me ; scales seemed to have fallen from my eyes, and I sung out with great glee to " Little Tom," the master, who was sleeping in his berth, " Eureka ! Eureka ! " and on August 29th, so soon as daylight favoured us, we tripped our anchor and disappeared, in the midst of a heavy squall that struck us from the land, like a spirit in a dream. 203 CHAP. IX. My wolla. Make the Reef again. The Captain takes all the Seamen to the Wreck, and it falls calm. The Vessel drifts out of Sight of the Reef. Westerly Current in part ac- counted for. Abandonment of the Wreck. Make for the Bay of Islands Alteration of Plans. The Vessel grounds on a Shoal off the North Shore opposite Auckland. Auck- land improved, but Cash scarce. "Little Tom" quits the Vessel. New Master engaged. Under weigh for Tahiti- Sight Huaheine and Raiatea. Pass between Moorea and Tahiti. The entrance to it. Tahiti described. Its People. Missionary Influence. Queen Pomare the Head of the Island. The Government shared by seven Chiefs. Laws in force at Night. Ancient Rites superseded by more en- lightened Instructions. Avata Shark. Horrible Sacrifice of an Infant by its Father. The Symbol conveyed to an intended Human Sacrifice. Form of the unhallowed Obla- tion. Want of Jealousy towards White Men accounted for. Conversation with Flowers. Process of manufacturing Tappa. Native Colours. A curious Method of producing a Red Dye. Canoes. Novel mode of Fishing. Native Houses. Method of Cooking. Diseases of the Country. " Darker grew the heavens, as the sun descended, Till the starless storm-sky with the wave was blended. Soon a horrid calm fell on the gloomy night, Nor a growling breeze now wing'd the vessel's flight." September 27 'th. AT two o'clock A. M., civil time, we made the island of Mywolla, one of the Fejee group; for after a long and baffled search for the reef, we discovered that a false rate had been left with the chronometer, which was calculated to lead 204 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. us astray ; and I had my doubts whether foul tricks had not been played with the instrument itself to insure the fulfilment of the predictions made by the scoundrel who deserted me. Every vestige of paper which contained the working of the sights was destroyed, and I had nothing to guide or direct me. Subsequently, I was fortunate enough to discover, in an old memorandum-book, the original error and daily rate of the time-keeper, given, to a certain date, by the Observer in Sydney. I worked up the rate from that time, and, adding it to the error, the island as laid down on the chart very nearly accorded in longitude with the time shown by the watch ; but the island has been inaccurately surveyed, and, from the great disparity of its bearings to those expressed on the different charts, we could not prove the chro- nometer to any nicety. Mywolla is much larger than it is laid down, and its points and bays bear not the remotest re- semblance to those mapped. We circumnavigated it, and were nearly wrecked upon some unnoticed islets with reefs off them. As far as we could judge it is a rich and fertile isle : but the many reports of the treachery of the natives prevented my going ashore. We stood close along the land, but no natives put off to us, although we could see them on the beach running about in a state of nudity. They lit fires at night on the hills, which I was told was an indubitable token of friendliness ; but still I did not like their keeping away so entirely from us, particularly as we noticed several canoes plying close in shore. On the third morning we NATIVES OF MYWOLLA. 205 made a last effort to induce them to visit us, by standing as close in as it was advisable to venture ; and after a while we were gratified by seeing two canoes bearing towards us. To provide against ac- cidents, that is, lest our visitors should be coming with " hostile arms intent," we prepared our own, to give them, under such circumstances, a warm recep- tion ; but when the first fellow came alongside, our fears on that head were dispelled. They brought a few clubs, spears, yams, and some tortoiseshell for barter; but they had nothing with them of much value. Their canoes are something similar to those of Rotumah ; but they have very wide outriggers, to counterbalance a square platform elevated above the gunwales of the canoe. They handle their paddles differently from any natives I have seen, as they stand upon the thwarts of the outrigger with their faces towards the stern, and in this manner they propel the canoe forward with a motion like that used in sculling; only in sculling the man stands with his back to the bow, and his oar rests in a chock placed in the stern, whereas they have nothing to rest their paddles against, which resemble broad-bladed oars ; and the rate they go at is incon- ceivable. The men, if we saw a fair sample, are a nobly built powerful race, darker than any other island- ers I have seen ; but this may perhaps appear from the custom they have of rubbing their bodies and filling their hair with a black powder. In the second canoe that came alongside was a chief of note apparently, and he was exceedingly anxious for me 206 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. to go on shore. He continued reiterating, with much earnestness, the word " Trunke, Trunke," and made signs that he would remain on board to answer for my safety. I was about to go; but the captain caught my arm, and earnestly dissuaded me from doing so, as he said he was certain that they only wanted to get me ashore for the purpose of ob- taining ransom ; and if, after I was gone, the chief jumped overboard and swam to his canoe, they would have no other means of rescuing me. There was reason in this ; for if they attempted to shoot the chief for escaping, my fate would be inevitably sealed ; I therefore suffered my inclinations to be overruled, rmich to the mortification of the chief, who bestowed upon the captain a most unmistakable scowl, only to be fully appreciated by those that saw it. This for- tified me in my prudential resolution ; and I returned, to carry on the best intercourse I could with tele- graphic signs. One of the canoes pushed off for the shore, to bring, as they intended, some pigs and more yams and tortoiseshell ; but on its return, it only had a few trifling articles in it, and some new faces, who earnestly pointed to the shore, and re- peated the exclamation of " Trunke, Trunke." Finding we could make nothing of our intercourse, and determined not to put myself in their power, I hinted thus much to them, when they left us with a sullen air of disappointment and ferocity. We remarked that several of the men had lost their little fingers. The chief was one of Nature's noble- men ; he stood nearly seven feet high, and his limbs, athletic in proportion, were beautifully moulded. He MAKE THE EEEF AGAIN. 207 had cicatrised wounds from musket-balls in two or three places, and I endeavoured to ascertain under what circumstances he had got them, whether in any row with white men ; but he pointed to a distant part of Mywolla, wishing me to understand that they had been received in an engagement with an opposite tribe. I doubted it Very much ; for he pre- tended ignorance of the nature of a musket, and I detected the shining barrels of several, which were only partially concealed in the bottom of his canoe, and he was evidently familiar with fire-arms. From the bearings of the land, our chronometer, as we stood away again for a fresh trial at the reef, put us twenty-five miles to the westward of our position; but, as before observed, no dependence can be placed upon the bearings laid down on the charts. By a lunar observation, it made our position to the eastward : however, I hope this time we may be more fortunate. October 5th. Early this morning we again sighted the reef, and made directly for it. By our chronometer it was in 174 14' E., differing twenty-six miles from the instructions given us; but I cannot tell at present whether our chronometer is correct. 21 41' S. is the correct latitude. On one chart in my possession there is a reef laid down in this latitude or nearly so, and in longitude 175 15' E. By various daily observations, our chronometer still continued to give the reef in 174 14' E., which tempts me to believe it to be the true longitude. The placing it in 175 15' E. may have been a typographical error on the part of the engraver. 208 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. The fellow who quitted me at Rotumah, and who had previously navigated the vessel at his own urgent request, on the plea of his knowledge of the seas, made the reef to be in 174 28' E. ; but he concealed his work from every one, and, so far as lay in his power, I believe he did his best to cause us to be wrecked. And why? Because he thought that his services were indispensable. Even had they been so, that circumstance ought to have bound him the more to me, as it was at his own earnest solicitation that he joined us ; but it served only as an inducement to throw obstacles in our way. I had reposed the fullest confidence in him, and never thought of inspecting his work, as I never could have surmised the result of his conduct ; nor did it strike me as being any thing extraordinary that, previous to our first making the reef, we sailed for several days over and about the spot where he affirmed it should be. Roused to exertion, and to look into matters myself, I speedily acquired sufficient knowledge to detect him in error, as he certainly had left a false rate with the chronometer, whether from design or ignorance I will not say. By the bearings of the land at My woila, it was twenty-five miles east- ward of what our chronometer gave ; and twenty-five miles added to 174 14' E., will make the longitude within one mile of that given us in the instructions, which was the mean of observations by three chro- nometers : however, I shall keep the rate we have been applying lately, and ascertain the truth on reaching the first harbour we drop anchor in. When we were about six miles from the sandspit, IT FALLS CALM. 209 the captain had both boats lowered, and carried with him all the seamen, leaving on board only the cook, the cabin-boy, and myself. Shortly after he had left us, it fell dead calm ; and it was with some little apprehension that I noticed we were slowly, but gradually, drifting towards the reef. Not a ripple dis- turbed the surface of the water, and the ocean bore the appearance of undulating glass. The vessel lost her steerage-way, and at last we approached within two miles of the breakers. The boats and all hands being away, rendered our position somewhat pre- carious ; and I was on the point of firing off the guns, as a signal for their return, when we had the satis- faction to find we had got into a counter current that was setting us in an opposite direction. The boats came on board about two o'clock r. M., and the hands having refreshed themselves they started off again. The calm continued, not a breath of air was stirring, and, towards sunset, we had drifted nearly out of sight of the reef; no boats made their ap- pearance, the sun went down, and the reef was no longer visible. The night closed upon us very dark, and one, two, three hours passed away, and the boats did not appear, whilst we were helplessly drifting to where the current liked to take us. My sensations were by no means enviable ; for, if the boats missed us, and it should afterwards come on to blow the usual sequence of such a calm what a plight we should all be in ! we had not strength to work the vessel, and those in the boats would probably be lost. We kept a light burning at our fore-top- gallant mast-head, and we fired guns, and let off VOL. i. p 210 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. rockets at intervals ; still no boats, and not a sound could we hear in answer to our firing. The deep silence of the night, the profound calm, and dead repose of every thing, was absolutely painful; and my anxiety increased as the chances of their arrival decreased. Once more we fired. This time, to my great thankfulness, a responding shout came booming over the water, as if a legion of bulls had conspired to raise the cry ; showing, at all events, that the anxiety of the boating parties was little less than ours. We continued exchanging halloos until one boat only came alongside, all hands sufficiently comfortable. They had seen nothing of their consort. Whilst I was expressing my fears and anxiety, she also came alongside, having approached us in a different direc- tion. Her crew was also glorious. It appeared they had been detained for the want of water, assuredly not for want of beer. The tide had enabled them to get in easily enough, but they were compelled to wait till half-flood before they could get out again with the boats laden. I omitted to notice, when we had the navigator par excellence on board, the astonishment excited in me by the wonderful influence of the current in the space of twenty-four hours. Although we had been steering S., and S. by E., we had made seventy miles westing ; but now the murder was out. On casually turning over the pages of the memorandum-book be- fore alluded to, I discovered that our scientific genius had been in the habit of subtracting the daily gain from the original error of the chronometer, although that error was too fast for Greenwich ; so that, accord- WESTERLY CURRENT ACCOUNTED FOR. 211 ing to his system, we should soon have had no error at all. I heard the little master arguing with him upon the subject, and it seemed to me that the theory maintained by the other was erroneous; but concluding that a man of his vaunted experience could not be mistaken, the question ceased to trouble me. On coming now to look into matters for my- self, and inquiring into causes and effects, by lighting on this chance memorandum it turned out that, on the day we made such a wonderful jump to the westward, our worthy had covertly become a convert to his error, and, without in any way alluding to the circumstance, made the necessary alteration, which naturally placed us so much further to the westward, but which he vehemently maintained was the effect of the current. There are currents it is true, but they appear to have no direct set ; they are ever varying, and we have had ample opportunity of testing their inconstancy. We have had the current northerly, easterly, at other times westerly, and again we have had it southerly, in fact it has boxed all round the compass in the same latitude and longitude, and baffled all our calculations; and unless there is in these troubled regions some submarine action of fire to influence the waters, I am at a loss how to account for its instability. October 27th. On the evening of this day, m consequence of the unmanageable conduct of the crew, who would persist in getting drunk in spite of all remonstrance, and notwithstanding the dangerous proximity to the reef we were compelled to maintain, with much reluctance, I own, I came to the resolu- p 2 212 ROVINGS IN TTTE PACIFIC. tion of abandoning it. For three and twenty days had we been standing off and on off at night, and making it again in the morning. We had contrived to get out of the brig all the beef that was in good condition and which was the only valuable part of the cargo ; but if dependence could have been placed upon the men, we should have likewise recovered her anchors, cables, guns, sails, and other gear: but so much bottled ale lying loose in the hold offered such faci- lities for getting drunk, that sailor-like, the men could not resist it, and the lives of all hands were repeatedly endangered by their recklessness. In bringing off the beef some chance of escape might have offered if the boats had got swamped, as there was the capability of starting the goods overboard ; but a similar occurrence happening when the boats were laden with guns, anchors, chains, &c., the weight would have prevented the possibility of light- ening them, and they would have been settled beyond the power of redemption. We might have con- structed a raft ; but this would have required the calmest weather, for the weather that would have admitted of our bringing it off would not have suffered the vessel to come near the reef. And suppos- ing we had made a raft, we might have waited long enough, and perhaps to no purpose, for the chance of getting it away : for the water is shoal over a long extent of coral reef, and the rolling swell that usually plays upon it would have baffled any attempts to have got the raft over it. Besides, it would have taken many days to have got all in readiness, which might have proved expensive, and labour thrown away : and BAY OF ISLANDS ALMOST DESERTED. 213 above all, there was the drunkenness of the men to combat with ; so, in reflecting upon the whole, I came to the resolution of abandoning further exertions. It had been my intention to have cruised amongst the islands for tortoiseshell, &c. until I reached Manilla or Macao ; but so much time had been lost, and so much unexpected delay occasioned by the working at the reef, that I feared to encounter the changing of the Monsoon in the China seas, and, by attempting too much, lose all. Solacing myself with the reflection that I had used my utmost exertions, and hoping still to dispose favourably of every thing, we now stood for the Bay of Islands. November \\tli. At four o'clock A.M. this day, we were beating between the heads; and at about nine, the wind falling light, I landed in a boat at Tapeka Point. From there I walked over to Kororarika, and was struck with the apparent solitude of the place. Scarcely an individual was to be seen ; the place seemed de- serted, and business suspended ; silence had usurped the place of noise, bustle, and activity, that prevailed the last time I was there ; and instead of the crowd of shipping that used generally to be at anchor off the town, the government brig, and one or two small coasting craft were all that could be seen. No im- provements had taken place ; and works I had seen in progress had been abandoned. " Something ails it now, the place is cursed ; " but I don't see how it could have been expected otherwise, the whalers were the only means of keeping up any commercial activity, and the government impositions have driven them away. p 3 214 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Is it not extraordinary that we, who have colonies immediately upon the whaling grounds, should yet be beaten out of the field by the Yankees, who have to come a distance of from 16,000 to 18,000 miles? I am acquainted with the son of a gentleman who was formerly one of the largest owners of whalers out of Sydney. He served his apprenticeship on board one of his father's vessels ; and amongst other remarks, the fruits of his experience, he stated that one of the most expensive items in the outfit of a whaler was her casks. The English casks are made of very stout oaken staves and heading, the latter being particularly so, and are long and narrow, with a great booge and depth of chime, bad to stow, occu- pying much unnecessary room, and not only difficult, but dangerous to up-end and cooper in heavy weather. The Yankee casks are built like a drum, the staves not much above half the thickness of ours, and the heads made of well seasoned pine : in consequence, they don't cost half the price, stow in much less room, the strain on each cask is more equally divided, and, as they have no more chime than is absolutely neces- sary, not only is there so much space saved, but the chimes stand less chance of being broken, and can be coopered without danger in any weather ; and, from the jointing of the staves and beading being finer than that of the English casks, owing to the great thickness of the latter, they are less liable to loss by leakage. John Bull, amongst the operatives, is particularly pig-headed and wedded to his own opinion; he will not believe that a Yankee can teach him anything : and the captain of an English AUCKLAND IMPROVED, BUT CASH SHORT. 215 whaler would rather pride himself on, and boast of, the greater expense of his outfit, than try and lessen that expense by taking a wrinkle from a Yankee. I strolled down the beach to renew acquaintance with faces I had formerly known ; but nearly all had deserted for Waitematta, the seat of government, and " nothing was moving but stagnation." In the even- ing I pulled up the Kawakawa, where the Yankee whalers resort. Only two were there, and the acting American consul was absent, his affairs being in difficulty ; and I was compelled to abandon the hope I had formed of exchanging supplies for bone, oil, &c. No business was stirring, and money was not to be had. We waited in the bay for a few days, to admit of repairs being done to the vessel ; and, whilst these were going on with, a vessel arrived, bringing most melancholy intelligence of the state of the market in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, scarcely a house but what was in difficulty, and many firms deemed infallible had called a meeting of creditors. This distressing account altered my views, and I cleared out for Waitematta and the island of Otaheite, intending to meet the whalers about the time they would be seeking the harbour of the latter island, and to be guided thereafter by the chapter of ac- cidents. November 22nd. Dropped anchor opposite the town of Auckland Waitematta : however, before coming to our anchorage, we grounded on a soft sand or mud -bank on the north shore. The water having suddenly shoaled whilst they were heaving the lead, P 4 216 ROVINGS IX THE PACIFIC. from five fathoms to ten feet, we had to wait till high water before we floated again, and sustained no injury. Auckland had assumed an improved appear- ance ; new and neat-looking stores and houses had superseded the straggling buildings of the composite order, between Maori hut and Irish hovel. Streets had been formed (many of which, by the by, will have to be laid out anew, their unwholesome narrow- ness engendering filth of every description) ; and in front of many of the houses Avere patches of garden ground clothed with verdure. But business busi- ness was in the same desponding state; most of the settlers had exhausted their capital in the pur- chase of their allotments and the erection of their dwellings, and now they were without cash to carry on business, or to liquidate the liabilities they had incurred. The saying, that " fools build houses, and wise men inhabit them," seems equally to apply in new countries as in old. When the govern- ment first planned Auckland, and put up building allotments for public competition, certain officials and land-sharks from Port Nicholson purchased all they could at the first flush, upon speculation ; and subsequently dividing and subdividing their pur- chases, have sold their divisions at such ruinous rates as to tie the hands of the artisans and petty traders. Any one coming into the market now, with plenty of money, might buy house-property cheap enough. Having effected what sales I could, my old travel- ling companion of the East Cape joined me ; and " Little Tom," the master, not wishing to extend his absence from his wife, whom he had left in delicate NEAR TAHITI. 217 circumstances, I engaged another in his place; and, on November 27th, we left Waitematta for the Great Barrier, to allow the new master to collect his traps which he had left on that island. As we neared the land, a thick mist enshrouded it ; and not thinking it safe to make the harbour till it cleared away, we stood off and on till four o'clock A.M. November 28th, when we came to our anchor in Port Abercrombie, at the west end of the island. The harbour is completely land-locked, circular as a basin ; no winds can affect it, as it is shut in, and surrounded by Alpine cliffs. On entering the harbour, we got the south-east end of the Little Barrier, to bear W. half N., and run in E. half S. The Western- most headland, as you enter, is called Wellington Head, from the semblance, real or imaginary, it bears to that hero's profile. A eaptain Nayle has fixed his solitary abode in this secluded bay, and contemplates opening a copper- mine in the island, veritable speci- mens of valuable ore having been detected. As he was not present, I did not hear the particulars ; but from the superficial glance I had at the rugged character of the island, I should think the operations of mining and transporting the ores for shipment would be found an expensive undertaking. November 29tk. Again purchased our anchor, and are now on our way for Tahiti. December 3lst. Our passage has been tediously prolonged by a succession of head-winds. To-day we sighted the islands of Haiatea and Huaheine, which lie in a W. N. W. direction, 100 to 140 miles from Tahiti ; we passed to leeward of them. They 218 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. are high and bold. In the evening tacked ship, and on January 1st, 1842, we found ourselves between an island called Moorea, or Eimeo, and Tahiti. Moorea is nearly due west of the north part of Tahiti, and distant about fifteen miles. It is bold and lofty ; its summit is broken into pinnacles, resem- bling spires, obelisks, and castellated ruins ; and it is intersected with many fertile valleys, such as Opo- nohu, whose picturesque beauty forms a pleasing contrast to the alpine grandeur of the mountain scenery which girds it on either side. January 2nd. By our observations we concluded that at daylight this morning, we were abreast of Matavia bay. Seeing neither sign nor token of any harbour, we continued sailing close along the land, as we imagined ; till no curve, or break, or other indica- tion, announced the vicinity of a harbour. Hill shot above hill, and mountain above mountain, and the whole seemed a conglomerated mass precipitated at once from the sea. We could see surf, and hear the roaring of breakers, but no symptoms of any place of anchorage. The hills and mountains had this peculiarity the angular slopes appeared to have been cut by the hand of man into polygonal surfaces. They are, for the most part, clad with a bright verdure, with here and there a patch of darker foliage and occasionally a cluster of cocoa-nut trees. Being all strangers to the country, we were sadly puzzled what to do. At last I had the boat lowered, and then we discovered our error : instead of being close in shore it gave us upwards of two hours' hard pulling to make it, and we opened several low points not dis- OUR TAHITIAN PILOT. 219 cernible at any distance. Pulling through a passage in the reef that surrounds the island, we ascertained, at the residence of a missionary, that the vessel was immediately opposite Point Yenus, the northern ex- tremity of the entrance of the harbour. It is a low sandy point, covered with cocoa-nut trees ; and, from our position in the vessel, it was lost in the bold back- ground. "We were not long hurrying on board again ; and had as an attendant a monstrous shark, longer than our whale-boat, which kept even way with us, close to the dip of the oars, till we came alongside ; disappearing as I called for the harpoon. We were about attempting the passage ourselves, when, luckily for us, the pilot made his appearance. I say luckily for us, for, of a surety, if he had not come on board we should have run the vessel on shore. Matavia is the station originally located by the first missionaries ; but the commercial settlement, called Papeeti, is farther to the westward, Its eastern entrance is off a place called Taonoa, easily knosvn by a singular but beautiful land-mark a mural crown, rising per- pendicularly between two lofty mountainous sweeps. The passage was startlingly intricate. It was " Star- board ! Port ! Port ! Starboard ! " every instant. We could distinguish the clear white sand at the bottom ; coral rocks were grinning on either side of us, and sometimes the pass between them was so narrow that it appeared only of sufficient width to admit the vessel. The pilot is a Tahitian, but was for many years in the service of captains of English merchant men. He handled the schooner quite masterly, and we reached our anchorage in safety. 220 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Otaheite, or Tahiti, more properly, has been termed the Gem of the South Seas, Queen of the Islands in the Pacific. It is, in fact, two islands, connected by an isthmus ; their extreme length being about forty miles. The land is exceedingly bold and mountain- ous ; the highest eminences rising in the centre of the island, and diminishing in altitude as they approach the sea. A narrow belt of level land runs round the island, at the foot of the mountains, but it bears no proportion to the mountainous extent of country. There are many beautiful valleys and mountain glades, ornamented with picturesque waterfalls and cascades, and with countless variety of foliage and alpine scenery. It is encircled by a continuous reef, from half a mile to a mile from the land, save two or three places, where it runs closer in shore, and the breaks in it, which form the passages to the various harbours. Papeeti is about seven miles from Point Venus ; and, independent of the Taonoa passage, it has egress on its western side. At times a very strong current sets upon the lee reef; but with a moderate and fair wind there is no cause for appre- hension, as you are soon through. The elaborate instructions we received for entering the harbour, were not of the slightest service ; nor would I recom- mend any to trust to their own pilotage. By hoist- ing a flag at the fore, the pilot will put off to you, provided you are not at too great a distance. And as, from the boldness of the land, it is very deceiving to the optics, it may be as well to state that you may stand close into the reef without danger ; and unless you do stand well in you will subject yourself to DESCRIPTION OF TAHITI. 221 much uncertainty and delay. There is shallow water a little to the eastward of Point Venus, called the Dolphin Shoal, extending about three miles from the land. We passed over it, but a ship of heavy burthen could not do so ; for the water is rarely seen to break upon it. The vale of level land, though narrow, is exceedingly fertile and beautiful. It is well inter- sected by numerous mountain streams, and abounds with fruits and vegetables of almost every descrip- tion that grow beneath the tropics. If a person only passed by the island he would be apt to exclaim, " Is that the Queen of the Pacific?" but after a residence of some time and sundry excursions, the prolific nature of the soil, the variety and beauty of its sweet- smelling shrubs and flowers, its varying foliage, its noble trees teeming in fruitfulness, its delightful climate, and lovely prospects, would make him ex- claim, *' Indeed this is a beautiful island ! " It pro- duces spontaneously all the fruits and vegetables necessary for the support of life, and the natives are consequently freed from the necessity of serf-like labour ; and they seem a buoyant, jocund race. Some years ago a missionary gentleman intro- duced into the country some guava seeds, which he brought with him from Norfolk Island ; and so well have they liked the soil, that the land is now overrun with them. The natives are too listless to attempt exterminating them, although they see the fearful rapidity with which they spread, choking and de- stroying nearly every thing in their way. They have killed vast numbers of the bread-fruit and other valuable trees, and unless some means are adopted to 222 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. keep them under they will prove a great curse. I circumnavigated the islands, and have travelled round three fourths of it on horseback, occasionally assisted by a boat, where it was not practicable for a horse to proceed. The scenery is romantic beautiful as fairy land. In many parts, waterfalls precipitate them- selves like streams of silver over the moss-grown ledges of rocky fissures ; and the varied relief of the foliage, the graceful waving of the cocoa-nut trees, the sombre, dark, frowning cliffs, the green hills and the lofty mountains, mellowed into a bluish tint by the distance, together with the purling streams and cool gushing springs, afford as delightful a prospect for the eye to feast upon as is to be met with in any part of the world ; but, as I have before remarked, when at sea, and at any distance from the land, all this beautiful effect is swallowed up in the general verdant appearance of the island. The natives generally are tall, athletic, and well pro- portioned; and the females, in comeliness of appearance and cleanliness of person, surpass any of the savage or half-civilized races I have seen. Many of them are of faultless symmetry ; but they look awkward when dressed in the waist-confining robes of our country- women. Their dress consists of a loose frock or roundabout, of fanciful colour, with a piece of print of a different pattern rolled round their waists and reaching to their ancles. This is occasionally worn outside the roundabout, but more generally beneath it. They are lighter in colour than the New Zealanders ; and the women possess beautiful long raven hair, which they keep scrupulously neat and clean, per- PEOPLE OF TAHITI. 223 fuming it \vith scented oils, and ornamenting it with wreaths of variegated flowers. Taking them alto- gether, they are a handsome people ; but I think one more ready to abandon themselves to sensuality can- not be found under the canopy of heaven. From personal observation, and information from many sources, I believe it is rare that a female native preserves her chastity till she arrives at the age of puberty. Delicacy is a feeling unknown to either sex; and there is scarcely a man but would wink at his wife's prostitution, or even abet it, rather than work to obtain the end he proposes by her sacrifice, if sacrifice it can be called, when the wives are nothing loth. This character applies equally to the natives of the Leeward Islands ; and the missionaries, instead of trying to suppress this evil by examples of the strictest continence in their own persons, have endeavoured to check it by the institu- tion of sumptuary laws, making the crime a market- able offence, to be atoned for by the payment of so many dollars. This system of punishment is eluded and laughed at ; or, if the parties are detected, the paramour pays the fine, and the crime continues. Nor is this all. I will not sully the pages of my journal with recording the details that have been given me, both by natives and Europeans ; but if one tithe of them be correct, and, unfortunately, I have seen corroborative testimony in certain instances, instead of improving the native character, the missionaries have superinduced upon their other bad qualities hypocrisy of the deepest dye. I speak dispassionately when I say, that I conscientiously believe the moral cha- 224 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. racter of the natives has not been improved by mis- sionary intercourse. It is true, that by long sojourn- ing with them the missionaries have instilled the conviction of the power and grandeur of European nations ; by this means taming their ferocity, and rendering them more harmless to visitors, and less dangerous to shipwrecked mariners ; but fear, and not religious restraint, is the governing principle. I do not mention names, nor will I quote even authentic anecdotes to support my assertions ; but it is right that the world should know, and that the zealous supporters of missionary exertion should be made ac- quainted with the fact, that there have been as many wolves as shepherds amongst the folds; and that many have " come to the marriage without being provided with a wedding garment." I mention no names, " nor aught set down in malice; " and perhaps these remarks will not fall to the ground. Can an apostate to his Maker expect to be listened to when he pretends to preach the Word of Truth? I have heard scores of arguments about being " guided by my words, not by my deeds," &c., but will a blighted tree bear fruit ? I esteem and venerate holy men who act according to their pro- fession, and am aware that no man is infallible ; but when one yields to the "old man" the coiTupt portion of his nature, and finds himself incapable of subduing his sensual passions, let him resign the sacerdotal character, and not doubly pollute his soul and body ; bringing contempt on the missionary cause, and standing forth to the heathen a mocking comment on the Word of God. LAWS AND GOVERNMENT OF TAHITI. 225 On attending a meeting of natives in their houses of assembly, jour olfactory nerves are not so offended as they would be on entering the hut of a New Zealnnder, approaching the "gunnia" of a New South "Wales black, or coming in contact with a negro. Their bodies are remarkably sweet; which maybe at- tributed to their constant habits of ablution, and their natural fondness for fragrant odours. Both men and women wear flowers in their hair ; but the oil they scent it with is not exactly in accordance with the more refined taste of Europeans. Nevertheless, there is something about the refreshing cleanliness of their persons, that is fragrant and agreeable. Queen Pom are is the head of the island ; but she scarcely interferes with its government, which is cai'ried on by seven supreme judges. An old fellow named Uata, the queen's foster-father, is her treasurer and speaker, and appears to be one of the principal men. In the queen's absence he is appointed regent ; and, though not a chief of high rank, he seems to en- joy a good deal of executive power. On a meeting of chiefs to effect new laws and regulations, the queen rarely interferes, or withholds her sanction from those submitted to her. They have a calliboose, or lock- up, supplied with stocks to fetter the limbs of the drunken or disorderly; and, upon the commission of any offence, you have only to apply to the chief of the constabulary, who forwards your complaint, when an immediate meeting of two or three of the judges takes place, and summary justice is administered. They have a law in force here very much like the system VOL. I. Q 226 JROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of the curfew-bell in olden times : at half-past seven o'clock a gun is fired, and at eight o'clock a second gun ; if, after the second gun; any sailors or natives are detected strolling about, they are seized and taken to the calliboose, when, before they are released, they must pay a fine of two dollars to the queen, or complete so many fathoms of work on the public road. A large body of constables perambulate the whole of the night, and keep a vigilant look out. This regulation does not apply to foreign residents engaged in commerce, to masters of vessels, or gen- tlemen visitors ; but if any loafers, sailors, or natives, are detected strolling after the second gun is fired, they are pounced upon and dragged off. All the roads, dams, and other public works, are executed by those under sentence who have been unable to pay their fines. Drunkenness supplies the country with most convict labour ; as, though spirits are pro- hibited from being landed on the island, yet the natives express the juice from oranges and some other fruits, and let it ferment in the sun, which produces a most intoxicating liquor; and numbers are daily added to the list of those doomed to work for their country's good. A constable inspects and measures their work, and if it is done carelessly, or in a superficial manner, they are compelled to undo what they have done, and commence again. In almost every village there is a church or chapel, the missionaries having succeeded in putting down many of their ancient rites and ceremonies. They have reasoned or ridiculed them out of many of their superstitious customs and notions, and in their stead, ANCIENT RITES SUPERSEDED. 227 have substituted the forms of our worship, which have certainly a more harmless tendency ; for the Tahitians, like the New Zealanders, are fond of as- sembling in bodies ; and there is a peculiar charm in their newly acquired power, of being able, in the same moment of time, by the aid of books, to give utterance to the same sounds and words. They seem to under- stand little, and to care less, about the principles of the Christian creed. The missionaries have conferred benefits upon them, by teaching them many useful arts, and by suggesting laws for the maintenance of order and the preservation of property, which have aided in putting a stop to the bloody wars that so frequently broke out amongst them in former days. The heads of the island have the discrimination to appreciate these services, and the policy to support and encourage the missionaries, so that the latter are feared even by those who apply the word mis- sionary as a term of reproach to another party. Moreover, it is known that the missionaries greatly influence every new act or law ; and their power, though not ostensible, is dreaded in proportion to its unseen but widely felt presence. A church- meeting is held every morning, when the reading-desk is occupied by one or other of the native teachers. Their singing is pleasing ; they appear to have ears finely attuned to music, and some of the females possess voices of the most silvery sweetness and delicacy. I have been present in their houses when five or six have commenced singing together: no harsh discordant notes came jarring on the ear, but their voices have blended Q 2 228 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. with the most perfect harmony, superior to the per- formances of many tutored singers. In former days the natives worshipped idols of wood and stone ; and they had atua, or spirit chiefs, who used, from some unknown caprice, to select animals of the brute creation and exalt them into deities. A shark was no uncommon object of their adoration ; and the superstition with regard to this voracious monster of the deep still exists. Four or five years ago a chief was drowned off the reef at the north-east end of the island, and shortly after a monstrous shark appeared about the spot. It has continually showed itself in the same place since. The natives say it is the shark we saw on pulling ashore to ascertain the harbour. They hold it in fear and veneration, and assert that it is their drowned chief. There are one or two similar avatas occasionally seen between the reefs of Moorea and Tahiti. "When a canoe capsizes and lives are lost, the natives will pretend to point out the exact spot where the accident occurred, and where the bodies might be found ; and they will tell you it was so ordered by the avata of that locality, who required the services of those that were drowned. It was the custom to immolate human beings to their deities ; and their prayer-meetings, or morais, were held with the most solemn privacy. It was instant death for any one to be seen where they were holding their barbarous rites; and a tale of horror is told which took place at one of their meetings worthy only of the Roman Brutus. A child had strayed from its mother till it had uncon- sciously approached the forbidden precincts ; sud- SACRIFICE OF AN INFANT. 229 denly it spied its father amongst those assembled, and ran and threw its arms around his neck. The hapless father rose, and, though two or three voices were faintly heard remonstrating against his im- posing upon himself the dreadful task of sacrificing his own child, yet, knowing if he did not he would lose " caste," and no longer hold the same import- ance with his tribe, he caught his unfortunate infant by the feet, dashed its brains out against a stone, and sternly cast its lifeless body into the midst of the assembly. When a day of sacrifice was appointed, a stone in the shape of a pestle was sent as the deadly symbol to the intended victim ; and so utterly useless was all resistance so certain the doom of all who re- ceived the fatal warning that they invariably re- signed themselves to their fate without a murmur and without a struggle. The eyes and heart of the victim were plucked out, and first presented to the king or chief ruler, who having mimicked the motions of eating them, they were carried away and laid upon the altar of their deity. One thing which struck me as being peculiar in the character of the natives was, that though ex- tremely watchful and jealous of their wives with their own people, and quick and deadly in their revenge when they had just cause for suspicion, yet with Europeans they appear alike careless and indifferent, and will even bargain for the dis- posal of their wives. I inquired of one how he ac- counted for this paradoxical behaviour. His answer was, " When a ( papa ' takes one of our wives, he Q 3 230 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. makes her a present, passes ou his way, and thinks no more about her ; but it is very different with one of our own people, for he would be continually hovering about her, and would perhaps ultimately succeed in stealing her affections from her husband." The legal punishment for adultery, if the crime is committed by a single man, is a fine of ten hogs to be paid to the husband ; and the latter may repudiate his wife and marry again. If the adulterer is a married man, he is compelled to pay ten hogs to the husband he has injured, and the participator in his guilt must pay ten hogs to his wronged wife; and it is optional with the injured parties to be divorced or not from their faithless mates. The unmarried girls have a custom of conversing with flowers not unlike the Orientals. If a coolness has sprung up between a young pair, the female will separate a flower partially down the centre. One half of the split flower is intended to represent the man, and the other half the woman ; and it is meant typically to imply that, though separate bodies, they are joined together at the heart. If the lover puts the flower in his hair, it is a sign that he wishes to preserve her favour; but if he tears it asunder, it is a token that he has lost his regard for her, and wishes to be entirely sepa- rated. The natives manufacture a species of cloth called tappa, which is the only article of domestic manufac- ture I have seen amongst them. It is made from the bark of the bread-fruit tree, and a tree called by them ora (the paper-mulberry). The inside lining of the bark is stripped off in long or short narrow MANUFACTURE OF TAPPA. 231 strips, just as they can separate it, and it is left to soak some time in water. When steeped sufficiently, they lay it, one piece upon another, on a log of timber squared for the purpose ; the under part hollowed to give it a spring, and the upper surface rendered per- fectly smooth and level. Thirty or forty females, with mallets of heavy wood, having four grooved sides, each side increasing in firmness of groove, then beat it out to the width required. They first use the coarsest sides of their mallets, and so on progressively. Some- times they will beat the tappa over dozens of times ; and, by adding fresh bark, they can increase it to any length or width. They are highly dexterous in the use of their mallets ; and their beat is a regular tone, which they vary at pleasure. Occasionally two or three couple will start up and dance whilst the others beat ; but the missionaries have looked upon this with a disapproving eye, as tending to debauchery ; and now, if they are detected, they are brought before the judges and fined. This arises from their ancient dances, which might have commenced in decency, but which invariably terminated in wanton abandonment. The primitive national colours of Tahiti are red and yellow ; but their present flag, introduced to them by Captain Laws, of H. M. S. Satellite, is red, white, and red, in horizontal bars, the white being the centre one. They are passionately fond of the colours red and yellow ; and they have a singular way of manufacturing a red dye, described to me by one of the missionaries. They take the berries and leaves of a certain plant, called by them mati, and upon every leaf they express Q 4 232 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the juice of a berry, which does not yield more than one or two drops. The leaves are placed one on the other, and when a sufficient number is collected, they knead them together ; and the combined qualities of the juices expressed after this process produce a dye of a beautiful red, which, taking the leaves or berries separately, is not to be obtained. The native canoes something resemble those of Rotumah, and the Feejee Islands, but are more carelessly built. They have no very large ones : those intended for fishing outside the reef are provided with a long curving bowsprit, secured by a stay to the mast, from which they fish or cast their nets ; their sails are of lateen form, and stout brown calico has entirely superseded the mats with which they were formerly constructed. They are expert fishermen, and have numberless devices for capturing the finny tribe. I was highly amused with one of them. They prepare light buoyant pieces of wood, about the size of an ordinary schoolboy's peg-top, but shaped like an hour glass, with a cone-formed bottom. Round these they wind their lines, the baited hook depending a few inches from the bottom of the float, and the lines being prevented from unreeling by a false hitch. In boisterous weather, when the heavy surf is thundering on the beach, they throw these floats just beyond the breakers; and when the bait is seized, the hitch is cast loose, and, the line running out, the float serves as a drogue, to deaden the way of the largest fish to be taken in this manner. Their houses are neatly built, and have a very NATIVE HOUSES. 233 pretty appearance. Bamboos, or uprights of the white puran, about six feet high, and secured to- gether by an encircling band form the enclosing wall. The rafters meeting the ridge pole are also generally of the white puran ; and the covering is a thatch made of the dried leaf of the pandanus. The leaves are bent over wands a fathom long, the edges overlapping, held fast by wooden skewers. The thatch thus prepared is laid upon the rafters, com- mencing from the bottom, and it is secured to a vine running from the top to the bottom of each rafter ; but at every four feet, the sinnett, with which the thatch is secured, for greater security, is made to take a double turn round the rafters. It is exceedingly neat, as, in a well-thatched house, each overlaying wand is not more than an inch above the other. When the summit of the ridge pole is reached, it is rendered weather-proof by a top coating of peculiar wiry grass, with which grass they also cover their floors. They are cleanly in their houses ; and nothing better for airy coolness and lightness could be adopted for the climate. Some of the better class are even elegant ; the rafters and uprights supporting the ridge pole being ornamented with matting of variegated patterns, neatly bound with sinnett. Their food is cooked in the open air, after the fashion of the New Zealanders : a hole is dug in the ground, and a fire kindled in it ; stones are heaped into the fire; and when these are rendered red hot, and the wood has smouldered to embers, layers of grass or green leaves are laid over the stories, and the food intended 234 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. to be cooked is placed upon them ; a fresh layer of grass intervening between each variety of food. There is then a finishing cover of grass or leaves, and earth is heaped over all, effectually confining the heat ; and in the course of half an hour or an hour your food is beautifully cooked in its own natural juices, there being no escape for them. The elephantiasis, termed by the natives fefe, is very predominant. Some have attributed it to the people being con- tinually in and out of the water, and to their rush- ing from one extreme of temperature to the other. Frequently, after having been up the mountains, and returning heavily laden with bananas and plantains, beneath the scorching rays of the sun, they will jump into canoes, pull off to the reef, and there remain for hours fishing, now in the water, and now in the canoe ; yet the chiefs, who scarcely do any thing but eat, drink, and sleep, and are rarely exposed to the vicissitudes which mark the daily lives of the common people, seem to suffer most from this painful and unsightly disorder. The natives themselves do not pretend to assign anything in particular as the cause of it ; they tell you it is incurable, that they have periodical attacks of pain, and that when the fit comes on their sufferings are agonising in the extreme. They eagerly seek for wines and spirits on these occasions, I suppose, from the desire to drown their pangs in intoxication. Englishmen have been afflicted with it, but have had every symptom of the disease removed on their returning to a colder climate. I do not know of many diseases incidental DISEASES OF TAHITI. 235 to the country ; but they are cursed with a very foul one from their intercourse with Europeans, which, from ignorance, neglect, and improper treatment, has become very general, and of a virulent nature ; other- wise they are a healthy race, and are generally long lived. 236 CHAR X. A Pearling Expedition. The Island of Maitea. Chain Island. Engage Divers. Neingo Neingo. Bow Island. Amanu. Entrance to Bow Island. The Fara Tree. A Morai. Custom of making Offerings to the Spirit and to the Manes of the Departed. The Manner of Diving. Finish Diving. The Bow Islanders. Visits Agatan, a Savage Island. Words not Deeds. Timidity of the Divers. Singular Ceremonies. Valorous Deportment of the Interpreter. Takume or Walchonsky Island. Risks which the Writer had unconsciously encountered. Raroia. Tainga. Ma- kimo. Katin. Migratory Disposition of the Natives. Faiti and Tania. Red Pearls. Advantages which the Cocoa-nut Tree confers upon the Chain Islanders. Their invading Disposition. War with Angatan averted. Cha- racter of the Natives. Get under weigh for Manilla. Spring a Leak and put back. Alter the Voyage, and clear out for Valparaiso. Sight the Andes. Narrowly escape being wrecked. The Port of Valparaiso. The Town or Almadral. Sunday Practices. Saints' Days. Road to Santiago, the Capital. Agricultural Instruments. Mule- teers. Country Waggoners. Costume of the Oxgoaders. A mounted Wassan. Mode of Life common to the Muleteers and Carriage Drivers. Santiago. Anniver- sary Rejoicings. Anecdote of an English Equestrian. Equestrian Skill of the Chilenos. The Maypo. Its Bridge. Traditionary Saying of the Indians. The Almeida. Signoritas. Ball-rooms. Gota. The Theatre. Quiltota. Exports of Chili. Foreign Commerce. Ex- traordinary Requirement to render written Documents valid. A Case in point. Periodical Visits of Small-pox. - A PEARLING EXPEDITION. 237 Shocks of Earthquakes common. Aboriginal Race appa- rently extinct in the Neighbourhood. " There are jewels rich and rare In the caverns of the deep ; There its pearly treasures sleep." Song. February 12th. LEAVING my partner in Tahiti to conduct what trade he could with the whalers, which now began to flock in, I this day started for the Paumutu Islands, or the Low Islands of the Dangerous Archipelago, to try and collect a cargo of mother-of-pearl shells, with the pearls to be ob- tained therefrom. I engaged an interpreter, agree- ing to give him one thousand dollars on his entering into a penal bond, guaranteeing, with a certain num- ber of men, to provide me with fifty tons of shell, to be dived for in my presence, with the pearl to be obtained from them, &c. &c. &c., in the space of three months, from the time of my starting till the time of my return. The divers to be employed in procuring the shell are fed principally on tihoho, which is bread-fruit buried in pits, and kept till it becomes like kneaded dough, and of a sour flavour. We went in the vessel to every likely place in Tahiti to try and obtain a supply ; but so many years have passed away since there has been any call made for it, that the natives have left off preserving more than is necessary for their own immediate wants : we therefore bore away for Chain Island. February 16th. Ran close alongside the island 238 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of Maitea, a small spot of high shelving land about sixty miles due east from Tahiti. We observed groves of cocoa-nut trees at the water's edge ; landing is difficult ; no anchorage ; the island is used as a place of banishment for great offenders. We had very light baffling winds, and it was February 23rd before we sighted Chain Island, which deserves its name. It is a broken cluster of coral sandy patches, densely covered with cocoa-nut trees, enclosing an extensive lagoon ; there is no roadstead or anchor- age; and so deep is the water close to, that the largest vessel that ever floated might run her jib- boom over the partly submerged coral reef girding these singular patches, without striking. The passage for boats to the shore is hazardous, even with the assistance of natives ; but without their aid, to one unknown to the coast, landing would be impracticable. A canoe came off to us, and, taking one of the natives from her to serve as pilot, we made for the shore with our own boat. Twenty or thirty natives were in readiness to seize the boat the moment she neared the rocks ; and without our sustaining the slightest damage, we went over on the top of a swell, and were hauled three or four hundred yards over a sharp coral reef and landed in safety on the white sand at the south-eastern, or weather extremity of the island. The broadest part of the widest link of land that forms the chain, is not more than half a mile in extent ; and were it not for the density of the cocoa-nut trees, the land is so low, that in hazy weather you would be apt to make your first ac- CHAIN ISLAND. 239 quaintance Avith it on finding yourself ashore. The only edible vegetable production the island yields is the cocoa-nut ; and yet it is thickly peopled, there not being less than 2000 native residents. They rear pigs in great abundance ; but their diet is almost solely the cocoa-nut, which, in its different stages of ripeness, provides them with both meat and drink, the pigs being reserved to exchange for calico and other articles with the ships that occasionally touch there. Notwithstanding the poorness of their living, the natives are strong and hearty, differing in no respect from the Tahitians in appearance, excepting that they are coarser, and a shade darker, which is to be accounted for by the greater heat of their climate, and from the refraction of the sun's rays on the glistening sands. To a depth of eight or ten feet the soil is literally composed of nothing but coral debris ; after that you pass through a strata of sandstone, and then come, so they tell you, to a black earth. I saw many abandoned pits, constructed with great labour, where the natives formerly cultivated tarro ; but they have allowed them to tumble in, as the roots were so small that they did not repay the labour of keeping them in order. To judge from the surface, one would be apt to imagine that no de- composition of vegetable matter had ever taken place there, yet cocoa-nut trees flourish luxuriantly as thickly as they can grow on the whole cluster of hummocks. The island lies nearly SSE. and NNW. Crossing the link on which we landed, we entered 240 ROVIXGS IN THE PACIFIC. a canoe in the basin, and paddled to its opposite extremity. It may be about fifteen miles in length, ' and eight in the broadest part. The natives traded readily with us, and we purchased 50 or 60 hogs, 6000 cocoa-nuts, and a number of pearls. We had no difficulty in engaging divers, making an agreement with thirty of them at so many fathoms of cloth per month, besides taking a lot of lads to assist in opening and cleaning the shells. They expressed their satisfaction at our not having brought tihoho, as they say they prefer cocoa-nuts with a little biscuit, and an occasional mess of pork. The native name for Chain Island is Ana. March 5th. Passed the island of Lostanges, by the natives called Neingo Neingo. In Arrowsmith's chart it is laid down as a narrow patch stretching due east and west, and only five miles in length ; whereas it is similar in character to Chain Island, without its cocoa- nut trees, being broken ridges of land, a few feet only above the level of the water, enclosing a lagoon ; and its length is from ten to twelve miles : its breadth varies. When about the centre of the island, from the mast-head we could see, in faint perspective, the trees on the opposite side of the lagoon. It is a nasty place to make at nightfall. At the south end there was a gap for nearly two miles without a break upon it. We stood within a cable's length of it before dis- covering the sunken barrier of sand with its detached patches of red rock, their points just grinning above the water. The island is uninhabited ; there are no cocoa-nut trees upon it, nor trees bearing any de- BOW ISLAND. 241 scription of food ; the resuscitated patches are princi- pally covered with a vividly green low shrub, which gave to the passing breeze a pleasant odour, not unlike that of new-mown hay. March Wth. The evening of this day saw us close in with the land at the south-western extremity of the Bow Island of Captain Cook, called by the French La Harp, and by the natives Heyow, spelt in the orthography of their language Hao. We were ranging along the coast to the northward, about two miles from the shore, when we observed four natives swimming off to us ; we hove our topsails aback, and took them in. Shortly afterwards seven more black objects were descried making towards us ; but as we had good way upon the vessel again, and more hands on board than we could accommodate, we hailed for them to go back again. I never saw such powerful swimmers. March 1 1 th. At daylight we were off Moller Island, by the natives termed Amanu. Bow Island being our destination, we tacked and stood for it. These islands are not more than fifteen miles asunder, and are lagoon islands, similar to those already de- scribed. Bow Island is between thirty and forty miles long, and lies in a south-east and north-west direction. The entrance to the lagoon is by a narrow passage at the north-north-western end ; it has a rapid tidal current, the time of flow and ebb being subject to lunar influence. At 11 A.M. we went in one of the boats to examine the entrance ; the tide was setting out so strong, we could scarcely contend against it, and the natives recommended our waiting VOL. I. K 242 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. till after 12 o'clock before attempting to take the vessel in, as it would then be slack water. We followed their advice, and entered the lagoon in safety, being favoured with a leading wind. There is a slight overfall in the passage, and we shot through it so quickly we had scarcely time for soundings : three fathoms I believe to be its shoalest water. We steered for the south-eastern part of the lagoon, the report being that shells were most abundant there. The lagoon is full of coral knolls, which can only be avoided by a bright look-out aloft. The broken ledges of scarcely habitable earth are not so broad as those of Chain Island; there are a few groves of cocoa-nut trees, and the ground is covered with dead coral. The natives live principally on fish and the fruit of the pandanus, which here grows abundantly, and is by them called fara. The fruit is a collection of cones, which they separate. Very little of it is edible, but each cone contains three or four white kernels of the bigness of a plum- stone kernel ; and after the small portion of esculent matter has been gnawed from the inner end of the cone, the natives may be seen, for hours at a stretch, pounding away at them to extract the kernels. I imagine they contain a deal of nourishment, as the people, far from being a puny race, are stout and robust, and fara is the only vegetable production they have as daily food. I found breaking the cones hard labour, as it jars every muscle in your body. Use, and the absence of more easily acquired food, has reconciled the natives to the exercise ; and groups may be seen pounding from morning till night. They live in wretched little huts, SUPERSTITIONS. 243 and are not much better provided with domestic comforts than the blacks of New South Wales. There is a morai, or place of sacrifice, where, in former times, human beings were immolated to the heathen deities, on the eastern side of the passage. Various tumuli still remain rude monuments of broken coral and the natives are still in the habit of making offerings to the Tupapan (spirit of the dead) ; but when I taxed them with it, they exhibited symptoms of shame, and denied it. We saw the remains of some large turtle, and the skeletons of fish, suspended to the trees about the morai, and lying on many of the altar- like erections. One old man, less sophisticated than the others, told me, with much naivete, that they did not dare eat the turtle, as it was sacred food reserved as offerings to the Yairua (spirit). In the same way, on the death of an individual they hang over the grave a calabash of water with some O O fish for the Tupapan ; nor could I make them sensible that the water evaporated by time, and that birds and maggots consumed the fish. No, they say, the Tupapan comes at night and partakes of the re- freshment: nor will they believe otherwise; and they have the greatest dread at approaching their burial- places at night, fearing lest they should meet the Tupapan. All the women residing at the spot where I landed assembled and greeted me with a dance. They stood in a row, and sang in concert to a singu- larly wild chant ; keeping time with the hands and feet, and accompanying the song with extraordinary lascivious movements of the body, impossible to be B 2 244 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. conceived by Europeans. Their songs are all of a gross and sensual character. The morning following the eve of our coming to an anchorage, we again got under weigh, to proceed further down the lagoon, and our divers started with the boats. They returned with but few shells in the evening, owing to the long pull they had had ; after- wards we averaged a ton of shells per diem, but we added to our gang of divers nearly an equal number of Hao Islanders. I accompanied them several times on their diving excursions. At first I was filled with compassion at what appeared to me the distress- ing nature of their exertions : but observing that they sustained no apparent inconvenience, my sympathy became less excited, and I used to rate them soundly when I came upon them and found them idling. On coming to a stationary anchorage, the divers erected temporary huts for themselves ashore ; and their custom was to start away at daybreak for the diving ground, and return to the vessel by three or four o'clock in the afternoon. The times that I accompanied them they were absolutely diving for about six hours ; and the only relaxation was pulling from one coral knoll to another, indulging in an occa- sional smoke by the way, and resting for a few minutes to partake of a little cocoa-nut and dried fish. The coral knolls have about two-feet water on their heads, and the water round them varies from three to twelve fathoms. The knolls are composed of sprouts of coral, which have a growth something like broccoli or the heads of cauliflowers; and the pearl oysters are found attached to, and lying around MANNER OF DIVING. 245 these marine productions. On arriving at a reef or knoll, the boat was secured by its painter to a pro- jecting branch, and the divers proceeded to dive from it in all directions ; and as they brought up the shells, so they threw them into the shallow water on the knoll, until the shells became scarce, or they became tired and wanted to pull to another station. Shell- fish of various descriptions are attached to and wedged in the coral branches, apparently having grown with their growth. On a still calm day you may see to the bottom at ten or twelve fathoms, and the shell- fish when feeding reflect tints of the most brilliant and beautiful hue ; and fish of every conceivable form and colour may be seen sporting in the interstices of the coral branches. It is a curious sight to watch the divers : with scarcely a movement they will dart to the bottom like an arrow, examine beneath every protruding rock, and, on continuing their investigations, by a simple movement of the arm will propel them- selves horizontally through the water, and this at the depth of seven and eight fathoms. I timed several by the watch ; and the longest period I knew any of them to keep beneath the water was a minute and a quarter, and there were only two who accom- plished this feat. One of them, from his great skill, was nicknamed by his companions the " Ofai " (stone). Rather less than a minute was the usual duration. In fine weather they can see the shells, when, if the water is deep, they dive at an angle for them ; and as the shells adhere firmly to the coral by strong beards, it requires no little force to detach them. I was B 3 246 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. astonished on one occasion at witnessing a diver, after one or two ineffectual attempts to tear away a large oyster, sink his legs beneath him, and, getting a purchase with his feet against the coral, use both his hands and fairly drag it oif. When they dive in very deep water they complain of pains in the ears, and they sometimes come up with their noses bleeding ; but it is rarely that you can get them to attempt such diving, as, let the shells be ever so abundant, they will come up and swear there are none ; the exertion from the great pressure is too painfully distressing. It has frequently happened, after a set of worn-out divers have sworn that no more shells could be obtained, that a fresh set has come and procured from fifty to sixty tons without diffi- culty. We had to shift the vessel three times to please the divers, although our so doing made no difference in the quantity or quality of shell procured. The last remove we dropped anchor on the eastern side of the lagoon, six or seven miles from the mouth of the passage ; and, accompanied by the interpreter, I went with the gang and roughed it on shore for a fortnight on the opposite side, where it is not safe for vessels to lie. We had great difficulty in inducing the men to continue their work ; and they complained bitterly at having quitted the last station, although it was at their own urgent request : they acknow- ledged the fault was theirs, and confessed that where we now were, shells were not only scarcer, but in deeper water. By dint of bullying and persuasion, we got them to complete their agreement ; and in eight weeks' diving we had forty-seven tons of shell, FINISH DIVING. 247 which, with what I purchased from the Hao Islanders, made about sixty tons in all taken on board. The pearls derived from the shells were principally seed pearl ; in the whole lot there was scarcely half a dozen that could be selected worth ten dollars apiece. In this respect I was greatly disappointed ; two or three I purchased from the natives were of more value than all of the fifty tons of diving put together. I was not sorry when I found myself on board again. The sails were loosed, the anchor hove apeak, and we were all ready for a start, when the wind chopped round suddenly and blew right in our teeth ; and then, for four days we had nearly a stark calm. I was urged to tow the vessel out ; but as I found no one willing to insure the risk, I preferred avoiding it by waiting for a shift of wind. The natives of this island are miserably poor : soil there is none to cultivate; their only fruit or vegetable is the cocoa-nut and f ara ; and, as before remarked, the cocoa-nut is not abundant, and the fruit is only partaken of on rare occasions. They have no quadru- peds, save a few wretched dogs which they keep for eating, and a small species of rat which infests the islands in myriads. A small dove, three or four varieties of land birds the size of larks, and no great variety of sea fowl, are the only ornithological speci- mens I saw ; and these the natives take no trouble about. The lagoon is abundantly supplied with an infinite variety of fish, many of which are excellent eating. The dress of the men is a belt round the loins, called a maro, which is passed between the legs and fastened at the back. The women wear simply R 4 248 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. a mat, reaching to the knees and girded round their waists ; they seemed to me, to be naturally indolent and dirty, and as if they would prefer going with hunger half-appeased without labour, than satiate it by active exertions. The greater share of the duties devolves upon the women. They are heavy sleepers, and can pass away an immense deal of time in that way. I think it is a habit they have acquired for allaying the gnawings of hunger. They seem to prefer being engaged in downright hard labour for us, on the chances of what food or nick- nacks we might give them, to relying on their own resources ; at least my observation for two months leads me to suppose so, as we had thirteen or fourteen shell-openers and cleaners on board, who used to work much harder than ever I saw them do for themselves on shore ; and we might have com- manded the services of almost every person upon the island. On many of the land patches there are holes of fresh water ; but they are so small that water can only be baled out with a calabash or cocoa-nut shell, and the supply is soon exhausted. Can they be springs, or do they arise from the percolation of eva- porated moisture? Our Chain Islanders hinted to us, that to the north- ward of Bow Island and Amanu was an island called Angatan, that had never been visited by white men. They stated that its inhabitants were in their primi- tive condition, and that they wore pearls strung round their necks and in their ears. Many large double canoes from Ana had made the attempt to reach it, but not one had been successful. This LANDING AT ANGATAN. 249 intelligence induced me, when a wind sprang up that liberated us from our confinement, to bear away for it, in the hope of picking up some of these necklaces and ear ornaments. Our natives say they derived their information from a few half-starved beings who got blown from Angatan in a canoe many years ago. May I4t/i. It being too dark this evening when we sighted the island, we stood off and on till morn- ing. Our divers, who had been alhigog to get there, now that their wishes were about being gratified began to exhibit signs of fear and uneasiness. They insinuated that the people were very ferocious, that they ate men, and were terrible warriors ; however, as I determined on landing, they requested me to allow them to make a first essay, to ascertain if they could hold intercommunication with them. To this I consented ; and two boats were lowered, with seven- teen men in them and a few muskets, to check any attempt at a surprise. We had sailed round two- thirds of the island and had seen no vestige of a human being, and we began to surmise that it was uninhabited ; but after some of our fellows had landed and were walking along the beach, we observed some naked red skins stealing through the trees. By and by they showed themselves, and a parley ensued. Either party seemed frightened of the other, and w r hat communing they had was at a safe distance. In about half an hour our heroes returned to the boats ; and then we observed that the stranger natives were armed with long spears, which they had laid on the beach during the interview. One of our divers who could talk a little English 250 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. told me that there " were plenty man too muchee makee fight plenty spear eat man. I say, captain, lookee out ! " said he, with a foreboding shake of the head. Not at all discouraged by his ominous frowns and misgivings, I persisted in going ashore. The interpreter went in one boat, and I in the other. It was agreed that I should land, and that the inter- preter should lie off, to guard against accident or treachery ; not that I entertained feelings of appre- hension, as I believed all the talk of our fellows arose from their own groundless fears. On nearing the shore only two natives could be seen ; and they ran along the beach waving their arms, and pointing out the best place for us to land. Both had spears in their hands. The beach is flanked by a flat coral reef, and consequently there is a heavy sand upon it ; and before we dared approach with the boat, the oldest native in her jumped overboard and, swimming on shore, commenced tokens of peace and amity ; the opposite party continuing very coy. Whilst they were in the midst of their gesticulations, a favourable swell setting in, despite the entreaties of the men, I ran along the thwarts and jumped on land. This at once settled the matter; the stranger natives caught up their spears and retreated to the bush, " staying no further ques- tion ;" and as they fled they were jabbering out to us in amazement. I called after them, but it only accelerated their flight; so I cautiously followed, gun in hand, and finger on the trigger. All the natives from the boats, with the exception of two in each, to keep them at a safe distance, on seeing me land, jumped into the sea and swam to me, earnestly INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIVES. 251 entreating me to stop. All rny endeavours to reassure the flying fugitives were unavailing; they disappeared in the thick underwood, and I thought it prudent to come to a halt. There was a tolerably large canoe hauled up under the trees, and, lest it should prove a cover for parties concealing themselves, I went and examined it. But I saw no signs, nor did I hear any movements indicative of hostility. I encouraged some of the men to go with me a short distance into the bush. They protested against going too far, as they vehemently declared they could detect traces of a recent human sacrifice. All was quiet ; we shouted and hallooed, but not a soul appeared. I was at a regular nonplus, and at a loss how to proceed. The fears of my companions would not allow me to incur the risk of marching through the island, as I knew they would fly on the first signal of alarm. Whilst meditating the best plan to adopt, a lot of armed men was seen coining along the beach skirting the wood. I immediately started to meet them, on observing which, they appeared to pause in alarm. The two foremost of the party held green boughs in their hands, which I considered the emblem of friendly intentions ; and as they continued to stand and wave them, I returned to my followers and handed them my gun, and making one of them give up his musket, I desired him to follow me ; which he did, with many misgivings and entreaties of " Captain, lookee out ! Too muchee man ! Plenty spear ! Lookee out ! Lookee out ! " Disregarding all that his fears impelled him to say, I walked directly up to those who held the green boughs, throwing up my arms to show that 252 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. I was weaponless. Upon this, the one who after- wards proved to be the head chief, seized my right hand with a nervous grasp, and my left was secured in a vice-like gripe by the other. Thinks I, " You've done it now, young fellow." I was fixed without the power of resistance ; and as I cast my eye over the wild-looking savages, armed with their long spears and clubs set with sharks' teeth, for a moment I yielded to the belief that my hour was come. Preserving outward composure, I turned my head and called to the Chain Islander to come and interpret for me. In fear and trembling he drew nigh, when the man who held my left hand set it at liberty to seize the diver's ; but my relinquished digit was instantly pounced upon by another of the party. The chief addressed a few words to Tiemu, the diver, who seemed to offer explanation. My hands were then extended, and the whole party joined theirs over them. In this position the chief favoured us with an oration, as energetically wild and savage as can be imagined. At the end he broke a young cocoa- nut ; and putting one hand to the back of my head, with the other he raised the nut to my lips, a green bough being waved over me. Tiemu then repeated some words after the chief; and the ceremony was wound up by all, but myself, dropping on one knee and celebrating the event in a chant to the gods . Tiemu explained to them, as well as he could, who I was, and my object in coming there. Their curiosity was unbounded; it was with difficulty I could in- duce them to free my hands, as each party wanted to secure me as his friend, in case I had any thing to SINGULAR CEREMONIES. 253 yii-e. At the time, I attributed the tightness of their gripe to a very different motive. I was the first white man they had ever touched, and they examined my naked breast and arms, forcing up the sleeves of my coat and opening my shirt bosom. The light colour and softness of my hair was another object of admiration : in short, my dress and appearance generally was a subject of unmitigated wonder ; and their first impression was, that I was a spirit that had come from the clouds. In the course of an hour we were all as thick as inkle-weavers ; and our people were as jolly amongst them, singing, dancing, and laughing, as if they had known them for a century. Many curious ceremonies were used at the first greetings, and much rubbing of noses and embracing took place. Of course I submitted to nothing of the kind in my own person, Tiemu having taken care to let them know the greatness of my power, and the differ- ence of the habits of the white men. This increased their awe, and put me on maintaining a reserved bearing; and as the crowd around us began to thicken, and many held spears and clubs, I pointed to them with signs of disapprobation, and desired that they might be put away. They instantly complied with my request, by darting their spears into the neigh- bouring bushes. The Paumutuan dialect differs from the Tahitian, though most of the Paumutuans understand the latter. Tiemu informed me that the "talk" of the people of Angatan is similar to what was anciently used in Ana (Chain Island) before they had seen any white men, or intercourse was so common with 254 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Tahiti. He had great difficulty, he said, in re- calling his memory, though doubtless his perceptions were quickened and rendered more acute by his bodily terror. Ignorance of their habits might lead to fatal and irremediable mistakes; but as far as I saw, the natives of Angatan are a harmless inoffensive race. They are what is poetically termed " Nature's unsophisticated children," which, in com- mon parlance, signifies, that they are as they came from the hands of God, with very little assistance from art. They go all but naked, are particularly wild and savage-looking, with matted dishevelled hair, thick mustachios on the upper lip, and long beards. They did not appear so stout as the other islanders, but, generally speaking, taller ; several were nearly seven feet high. There was no tattooing on any of them ; and their implements were similar to those of most savage nations, constructed of wood and bone. I distributed a few articles amongst them, which they seized with avidity ; in return they brought me cocoa-nuts, a mat or two, and some other little trifles. I saw no pearls amongst them, nor could they comprehend what the divers meant when they asked if they had any. Only four or five of their women came to see us tall reedy-looking beings, but with rather a soft and pleasing expression of countenance. They seemed lost in amazement, and scarcely kept their eyes off me during my stay. They had an evident inclination to fondle me, and I was obliged to submit to their resting their arms on my shoulders, and allowing them to play with my hair. There was nothing on the island to purchase ; NATIVES OF AXGATAX. 255 and having made my gifts, and somewhat disarmed their jealous fears, I returned on board again. I lost more than half the interest of my interview with them for want of a proper interpreter. After the league of friendship had been solemnly ratified between us, and we were on the most social terms, I requested my interpreter to come ashore, and assist in explaining all that was going on. But arguments and persuasion had no effect ; he would not venture his fat sides out of the boat ; and when I reproached him for his cowardice, he tried to excuse himself by saying, "No, no, no, sir, you'd never catch me ashore ; but goodness me, sir ! if they'd killed you, sir, I was determined to have revenged your death." He exhibited a curious proof of the way he intended avenging my fall. After good-fellowship was esta- blished, my fellows had stacked their muskets on the beach, more fully to enjoy the new-formed league. But the gallant interpreter, fearing that they might fall into the hands of the Angatan natives, made one of the men from his boat swim off with them to him ; so that had we sustained an attack, we should have been slaughtered without the means of self-defence, and beyond the reach of any harm he could have effected with the muskets. We sailed round the island, which is not above fourteen miles in circumference. Its central lagoon was small, and I thought I detected a boat passage to it on the south-east side. We landed with the boats on the north-west. It is the island called by the Russians Ayrackcheef, and is accurately laid down in Arrow- smith's chart of the Low and Society Islands. 256 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. May 16th. Between seventy and eighty miles due west from Angatan is Walchonsky, another lagoon island surveyed by the Russians ; its native name is Takume. At 8 A. M. this morning we were about eight miles to the north-east of it. At 10 I had the boats lowered and went on shore. The island is nearly fourteen miles in extent, and the lagoon is in no part broader than between two and three miles. It has no harbour, and is nearly sur- rounded by a bold coral reef, with a flat surface ; the best landing is at the north end. It has some beautiful groves of cocoa-nut trees, and is rather a pretty looking spot. Its inhabitants have frequent intercourse with Ana, and vessels from Tahiti have had boats diving there. Two of the double canoes from Ana were then lying there ; and it transpired, that before we called to engage the divers, one of these canoes had started for Angatan, the other fol- lowing soon after our departure for Hao ; and it is rather singular, after so many years of bootless trial, that both should succeed in reaching Angatan at this time. The first canoe gave a very vague and un- satisfactory account of their proceedings: they had made the island, but seeing a great number of armed people assembled, were afraid to land, and there was a whispered rumour that they had wantonly fired upon and killed four of the unoffending islanders. The second canoe had only left Angatan the day before we arrived there; they gave us their story with several contradictory versions. One of their party, however, got killed ; and another was speared in his back and right arm, and with the remainder TAKOIE. TAIXGA. 257 of his companions escaped with difficulty. I cross- questioned them. Their description of the island and its people was accurate enough, but their particulars of the affray were confused and mystified ; and it was the unanimous opinion of our divers that they had brought the punishment upon themselves. This may account for the timidity of the islanders when we landed, and for every one of them being armed, even to the women. No doubt they fancied we had come to inflict retribution for the man they had killed. On the fall of their comrade, the Chain Islanders made a precipitate retreat to their canoe, which they say they gained in an almost exhausted state. They saw the Angatanians lay their dead companion across their spears, and carry him inland ; aad they asserted their conviction that he was eaten. This accords exactly with our own people's notions, that a recent human sacrifice had been committed. I staid at Takume four or five hours, trading for pearls and other island productions, and then stood away west-south-west. AVe sighted Barclay de Tolly Island, recognised by the natives as Raroia : it has an extensive lagoon, and its coral ledges are much broken. May 17 th. Holtz Island, by the Russians called Yermoeloff, and by the natives Tainga, is laid down in latitude 16 24' S. and longitude 143 12' AY. Our longitude corresponded, but we thought its position was placed six miles too far to the southward. It is a lagoon island. At this time there were no inhabitants on it, and I did not heave to. 18th. Early this morning we made a long VOL. I. S 258 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. lo\v island which the natives called Makimo. We lay alongside it nearly becalmed the whole day, the vessel just having steerage way. It ranges nearly east and west, is upwards of thirty miles long, and there are two ship passages through its northern belt of coral into the lagoon. There are but few inha- bitants on it, and I did not land. Its longitude corresponded with our observations, but it is also laid down six or seven miles too far to the southward. At 3 A. M. of May 19 th, a breeze sprang up, and at daylight we discovered ourselves considerably to the northward of Sacken Island, known to the islanders as Katin dangerous land to make, from the wide gaps in the ledges encircling its lagoon. In many of the broken intervals, the sand and rocks were nearly level with the water. Here and there are occasional clumps of foliage. The lagoon is large : there is a clear ship entrance to it on the north-east side and another on the west-north-west. The inhabitants of nearly all the Paumutu Islands are of roving migratory habits ; they wander from island to island in their large double canoes, so that at times an island will appear to be thickly peopled, and at others scarcely an individual is to be found. The latter was the case with Katin in the present instance, and was more than once so with Bow or Hao Island during my stay there ; and unless a person dwelt amongst them long enough to be able to recognise features, he would be apt to return a very false estimate of the island population. The centre of Katin is laid down in latitude 16 16' S. ; it is at least six miles too far to the southward. The MIGRATORY HABITS OF THE PAOIUTUANS. 259 longitude we found to be correct, viz. 144 19' "W. From Katin we took a direct course for Chain Island, and sailed between Myloradwitch and Chichagoff, known to the natives as Faiti and Tania. The channel between them is about ten miles broad. They are both lagoon islands, differing little from those already noticed. Their positions on the chart cor- responded with our observations, only Faiti is re- presented as being the larger of the two, which is incorrect; Tania being of considerably greater ex- tent. The latter has three entrances to its lagoon on its eastern side. The wind being fair, and our provisions low, I would not delay to land on either of the last-named islands, particularly as our divers apprised us that the inhabitants were all away. A singular peculiarity attaches to the pearls procured from the shells of a small island, forty or fifty miles to the north-west of Katin, called by the natives Taiero, they being invariably of a dark or orange- red color. May 20tk. At 1 A. M. we sighted Ana, and made short tacks till dawn. On the charts this island is laid down twelve or thirteen miles too far to the westward ; and if we had not known this, we should have had a troublesome beat back again. Its latitude was correct, and we made its longitude 145 28' AY. instead of 145 41'. I was more struck with the appearance of Ana or Chain Island on my return to it. The south-east point is densely crowded with cocoa-nut trees, and the land being so low and flat, they appeared of one altitude. The whole scene, from the sombre hue of the grey s 2 260 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. dawn, and the waving plume-like tops of the trees, reminded one of a gigantic hearse covered with its funeral pall and dark nodding feathers. The Chain Islanders are alive to the advantage the cocoa-nut tree gives them over their neighbours; and though so wonderfully abundant, they are con- tinually planting them. From the great superiority in the number of its inhabitants, Chain Island takes the lead of all the islands in the Archipelago, and the other islanders are looked upon by them in little better light than we would look upon dogs. Wherever they go, they commit the most wanton excesses with impunity ; for if the injured party should dare to rise in their own defence, on the news reaching Ana, they collect an overwhelming force in their large double canoes, of which they have from fifty to sixty, and take fearful vengeance. Some years ago they over- ran nearly every island in the group, burning and slaying all before them ; rooting up, and destroying every cocoa-nut tree standing, which accounts for their scarcity at the other islands. It is only of late years that the scattered remnants have been allowed to re- turn in quiet to their homes and renew their planta- tions ; and the poor fellows are in absolute dread of visits from the Chain Islanders, for they are like locusts, and almost commit as much devastation. I heard that these impudent fellows once contemplated the conquest of Tahiti, and gave the old king a fright. He was not the most valiant of men in his own person, but a clever diplomatist; and he averted hostilities by ceding certain points of land in Tahiti for the use of the Paumutuans whenever they INVADING DISPOSITION. 261 chose to take up a temporary sojourn upon the island ; and by this stroke of policy he got them to acknow- ledge his supremacy. I kept the worthies pretty well under restraint, but I am conscious that many petty impositions took place which I could not prevent ; the aggrieved party thinking it better perhaps to put up with trifling in- conveniences than risk complaining to me, which might provoke a serious quarrel when I was no longer by to protect them. Much debate was held amongst the leading men as to fitting out a fleet for an attack upon Angatan ; but I set my face against it, and opposed every argument in my power. I was listened to with deference, as they looked upon me as braver than their own people. One of the divers, too, was an influential man, and he strongly sided with me. We caused the parties to be re-examined, and not a doubt remained in the minds of the assembly, that their own countrymen had been the aggressors ; and they faithfully assured me that they would drop all idea of making war upon them. I could not avoid being struck with the selfish illiberal dealings of the Paumutuans one towards the other : arising perhaps from the poverty of their food, and the precarious way in which they obtain it. Even when it puts them to no incon- venience, they will not accomodate each other ; nor does it seem to be expected amongst them. It is literally " every man for himself ; " and I have fre- quently known our shell-openers compelled to swim ashore, in rough blowy weather, because the owner of a canoe would not allow them to take a passage. s 3 262 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. I expressed my astonishment at such illiberality amongst people so few in number, and who must be all more or less related by kindred ties. They only laughed, and said it was the custom of the country. It was represented that the Paumutuans were far more strict in their observance of the marriage rites than the Tahitians ; all I can say is, that at Hao there was not one who would not sell his wife or sister to our sailors for a shirt or a yard or two of print. June 16th. Got under weigh for Manilla, intending proceeding through the various islands to the west- ward, making a running trading voyage of it. June 18th. Sprung a leak, and with difficulty could keep the vessel free. The leak increasing, held a consultation ; and the result was, that con- sidering it too dangerous to prosecute the voyage contemplated, we stood back for Tahiti, in the hope of getting assistance from the " Favourite " man-of- war, lying there when we left. We were nine days beating our way back, confined by strong easterly breezes between the islands of Raiatea, Huaheine, and Sir Charles Saunders Island, or Maihau. June 27th. Again dropped anchor in Tahiti. The " Favourite " had taken her departure ; and being unable to procure copper or nails, and many other things necessary for heaving the vessel down ; reflecting also on the great expense attending it, and the probable loss we should sustain from theft and breakage on discharging the cargo ; we altered our views. Deeming the island route to the westward too hazardous in our leaky condition, we had the POET OF VALPARAISO. 263 hooclen ends, and one or two suspicious-looking places in the bows looked at, and, provided with extra pump gear, on July 2nd we cleared the harbour for Val- paraiso, and endeavoured to call at Ana ; but after a week's contention with strong easterly breezes, gave up the attempt and stood to the southward. We reached 31 south latitude before we got into the " variables," and by that time were in the longitude of Tahiti again. We sighted no land upon the passage, although we ran close to the parallel of lati- tude of a cluster of islands marked upon the chart, " Islands, according to the Spaniards, seen also in 1825." August 19th. At sunrise the snowy tops of the Andes were visible above the clouds, which dis- appeared as the sun gained power. August 20th. We were within an ace of being wrecked on a shoal, about twenty miles to the northward of Valparaiso, and stretching eight miles from the land. At eight o'clock A. M. it fell calm, and we were at the mercy of the drift. At six P. M. we could distinguish houses, and a sickly twinkling light, which one of the crew said proceeded from the light-house. August 21st. We drifted past the harbour in the night, and the current was setting us towards the rocks. Pulled into the harbour for assistance, procured two boats, and towed the schooner into a place of safety ; and as we had been compelled to pump her every two hours from the time of our leaving Tahiti, we were not at all sorry to see her safely moored in port. The harbour of Valparaiso is more properly S 4 264 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. a roadstead : it is an extensive bight, fully open to north winds, which blow at times with great violence in the winter season, particularly in the months of June and July. Our position was on the west side of the harbour, at a place called Fisherman's Bay. The holding ground is good, and the pull of the anchor against a hill, as the water shoals gradually, from forty to two fathoms. The port, to my eyes, had an extraordinary appearance. One narrow street runs along the base of a jumble of broken hills, and the houses appear packed one on the top of the other. About a mile and a half from the port is the Almadral, or town, built on a sandy patch of table land, the only reposing level facing the sea which the roadstead offers. The surrounding country is rugged and hilly ; and to the northward, far away in the distance, colossal mountains rear their tops, crowned with eternal snow. The streets of the Almadral are laid out so as to form squares, crossing each other at right angles. There is no- thing enlivening in the outside appearance of the houses and shops. The windows are small, and are protected by heavy iron gratings; there is nothing on which to feast the eye, like the ex- hibitions of wealth and beauty in art to be seen in the shop windows of Old England. There were from seventy to eighty foreign ships, varying from 100 to 1000 tons burthen, lying at anchor on my first arrival ; and during every day of my stay vessels were going out and coming in. From the nature of the harbour there are no wharves for the convenience of loading or discharging vessels : large TOWN OF VALPARAISO. 265 open lighters are employed for this work, and hundreds are to be seen riding at their moorings. All goods have to pass through the Custom House, and duties are levied upon them according to the judg- ment of government inspectors. The del credere of the country is six months ; and the celerity with which vessels are discharged, and cargoes sold, forced itself particularly upon my attention. A vessel arrived from China whilst I was there, bringing a very valuable cargo : in two days goods were sold to the extent of 200,000$ ; and in four or five she was entirely discharged. There are no banks in the country, and all payments are made in hard cash. Ounces, dollars, and reals is the currency ; mercantile books are kept in dollars and reals : I saw no copper money. In Valparaiso they have no regular troops, but an organised militia, who are exercised every Sunday on a plain to the westward of the town, extending to the cliffs, called the Plaiyanche. On the edge of the cliffs facing the ocean is the lighthouse, a paltry wooden erection with a fixed light. Nothing surprised me more than the observance of the sabbath in this country. Instead of being de- voted to quiet, orderly, religious purposes, it is a day of mirth and revelry. Business is suspended, it is true, and the churches are opened, but pleasure and amusement reign paramount. The celebration of Saints' days, which are annoyingly frequent, oppose great interruption to commerce, no ships being allowed to continue loading or discharging when they occur ; the shops are closed, and the business must 266 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. sleep. Some queer mummery ensues on these occa- sions : a lay figure, representing the saint, dressed in gaudy tinsel, preceded by a procession of priests, and followed by a band of music and the mob, is carried about ; and at different halting places squibs and crackers are let off, and occasionally a rocket is sent up into the air. Foreigners of a different persuasion are bound to take off their hats on falling in with these processions. Santiago, the capital, is between ninety and one hundred miles from Valparaiso ; the road to it over high hills and rich plains. At very little expense the roads might easily be kept in excellent condition ; but they are most deplorable. We were frequently compelled to make a detour of a mile to avoid being bogged. Our travelling conveyance was exactly suited to the nature of the roads ; it was a sort of Stanhope, with a hood that could be raised or depressed at pleasure, mounted on very long springs, otherwise the shocks we received from the ruts and holes would have dislocated our limbs. A mounted horseman rode on each side of the horse in the shafts ; and attached to their saddles they had leather thongs, with hooks at the ends, which they could fix to eye-bolts in the shafts, to assist in drawing us. Whenever we ap- proached a dangerous or doubtful place in the road, one of the fellows immediately unhooked his thong and rode through it, to sound the way. In like manner, on going down a hill he would take his hook from the shaft and fix it in an eye -bolt at the back of the birloche, and keep backing his horse till we had descended in safety. The road leads over ROAD TO SANTIAGO. 267 two mountainous ascents. That over the Questa Prao, from its altitude and steepness, has been cut with great labour : it winds laterally on its broad bosom, and has scarcely less than thirty serpentine turnings. On gaining its summit, the view from it on either side is glorious : wide cultivated plains clothed with ver- dure, level as a bowling green, spreading away to the base of the mountains; the Cordilleras in all their magnificent array, closing the scene. The agricul- tural instruments of the farmers and peasantry are of the most primitive construction : the plough, consist- ing of a clumsy triangular piece of wood, the open ends of the angle forming the handles, and the point, somewhat prolonged, shod with iron, forming the coulter for breaking the earth, two bullocks draw abreast ; their harrows are constructed from the nearest bush. Droves of mules are employed for transporting produce in packs ; and I was frequently reminded on seeing them toiling their painful ascent up the steep mountains, of the " Muleteer's Song." " Then baste my mules, we must not creep, Nor linger on so slow ; The journey's long, the mountain's steep, We've many a league to go." For bulky articles they have huge lumbersome waggons, with wooden axle-trees, drawn by oxen : the creaking and groaning of these waggons may be heard nearly a mile off. They are now introducing more civilised vehicles ; but I was told that it was the policy of the government in former times to suffer none but these slow- moving musical conveyances in 268 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the country, as a protection against smuggling; it not being possible to put them in motion without their announcing the fact to a considerable distance. The oxen are yoked together in couples by a heavy bar of wood made fast to their horns, and they may be said to push rather than pull. There are from five to seven couple in each waggon ; and two oxen are always fastened to the back of the waggon on going down hill, and are taught to hold back, answer- ing the purpose of a drag chain. The drivers use goads instead of whips like our waggoners sticks from ten to twelve feet long, armed with sharp iron points, which they dig into the poor animals most unmercifully. The costume of these fellows, which, with slight variation, is the dress of the peasantry of the country, is rather picturesque. Over the shirts they wear a poncho a sort of cape, reaching as far as their knees on either side, drawn over the head through a slit in the centre. This slit and the edge of the poncho are bound with a fanciful border of bright colours. They wear wide white drawers, reaching to about inid-leg, and over these another pair, still wider, of blue dungaree or camlet, white cotton stockings, and short scarlet woollen socks over these again. Their heads are bound with a fancy-coloured handkerchief knotted behind, two ends being left to flap about. A high conically shaped straw hat completes the garb. In riding a journey it is the custom for almost every one to wear the poncho, and to tie a handkerchief round the head ; as the flapping of the loose ends con- tributes to keep you cool, and the poncho not only protects you from the dust, which is very troublesome COUNTRY WAGGONERS. 269 here, but by its fanning motion creates a current of cool air not to be rejected. Many of the Chilenos pass half their lives on horse- back, and a well mounted wassan deserves a particular description. On his saddle he has seven or eight pillows or coverings, made of prepared sheepskins with the wool on, dyed of a uniform colour, all trimmed to the nicest degree of evenness, an embossed sheet of leather being girthed over all. His reins, stirrup-leathers, and horse's head gear, are mounted with silver; but instead of stirrup-irons, he has heavy wooden boxes, beauti- fully carved, which receive the toe. Himself, dressed in a gay poncho, beautifully embroidered with flowers worked in silk, a broad sombrero with the ends of a bright-coloured silk handkerchief streaming from beneath it; his jacket slashed and braided, with leggings of polished embossed leather over his well fitting trowsers; his spur-leather mounted with burnished silver, and the rowels of his spurs of the same metal, seven inches in diameter, fixed like a centaur in his seat, with his noble horse, faultless in symmetry, well groomed, bounding and caracolling beneath him, affords a gallant spectacle. The mule- teers and carriage-drivers make the pillows serve the purpose of bed and blanket. They rarely sleep within the walls of a room, and in every inn-yard they may be found resting under the gateway, or beneath the vehicle they have been conducting during the day. Their mode of life renders them apparently hardy and healthy, but I am told that few attain to old age. The reason of their using the large wooden rest instead of stirrup-irons is to protect their legs, which 270 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. otherwise would often be subject to serious damage in riding through a country particularly liable to be thronged with mules laden with copper ore, &c., which scramble along quite regardless of what damage they may inflict with their insensate burdens. Santiago is built on an extensive plain, which, sur- veyed from the surrounding heights, appears level as a billiard table. The streets are laid out in squares, and in the centre of the city is the Grand Plaza, or great square, the palace of the president occupying one side of it. In the middle of the square is a marble fountain, erected in commemoration of the inde- pendence of the country ; and from the basin of this fountain the city is supplied with water. The houses, as seen from the streets, have a dull prison-like ap- pearance. An arched gateway occupies the front of nearly all the private houses, which leads into a court ; the building forming the sides of a square encloses this court yard, and, generally speaking, a parterre or a fountain ornaments its centre. If their dealings are conducted as much upon the square as they seem fond of applying the principle to their dwellings, towns and cities, &c., they deserve to be esteemed as a rigidly moral people. I had great difficulty in finding my way about from the sameness in the ap- pearance of the streets, which are without name or number. On falling in with any one who could speak English to direct me, I became as much puzzled in keeping count of the squares as though I had received no instructions ; hence I infer that the bump of locality cannot be very strongly developed in my cranium. The best expedient I could resort to on SANTIAGO. 271 wishing to return to my hotel was, by blundering my way to the Grand Plaza ; and then I could not well miss it, as it was in the street on a line with the presi- dent's palace. My arrival at Santiago happened at a felicitous moment for witnessing the national rejoicing which takes place on the 18th, 19th, and 20th Sep- tember, in celebration of the anniversary of their inde- pendence. The troops are reviewed on a beautiful plain called the Pampilia, three or four miles from the city, and extending with a gentle rise to the base of the Cordilleras, when thousands of both sexes congregate on horses, in carriages, and vehicles of every description. Pic-nic parties may be seen grouped in all directions, whilst good-humoured mirth and frolicsome fun reign around. Various are the feats of skill in horsemanship that take place. It is next to an impossibility to unhorse a Chileno when seated on his pillows ; and on these days it is customary amongst them to dash at any one off his guard, and try to unhorse him. A person on a naked English pig- skin, with its neat stirrup- irons, stands no chance in these rude encounters. The pile of pillows stretches the legs to a certain angle, and the large wooden rests preserve both rider and horse from the shock of the charge, at the same time inflicting severe punishment on an adver- sary's legs or horse not similarly provided. On one of these holiday occasions, I was informed that an English gentleman, beautifully mounted, in Meltonian style, on a coal-black steed, an admirable rider, careered the plain, avoiding every encounter with dexterous skill, and by his graceful address 272 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. exciting the admiration of the fair and the burning envy of the wassans. The latter feeling at length prevailed to such an extent, that one of the wassans, bestriding a very powerful animal, and watching his opportunity, set spurs to his horse and charged him in the flank, as he was bending over his saddle con- versing with some ladies, a terrified shriek from whom announced his danger. At a glance he saw that any attempt to escape would be almost certain death to his fair friends; he therefore reined up his noble steed, and plying whip and spur dashed at the wassan, meeting him full tilt in his career. At the very instant of the encounter, the Englishman threw himself from his saddle, without relinquishing the reins, and escaped uninjured, though his noble courser perished in the encounter. The wassan and his horse were killed upon the spot. I received several rough contusions on my knees and shins ; but having no pretensions to skill in horsemanship, whenever I saw any one about to charge me, I made a point of dropping the reins and throwing up my arms, and it generally had the desired effect. The Chilenos cer- tainly manage their horses with consummate skill : I have seen them urge them to their fullest speed, and check them so suddenly as to throw them back upon their haunches ; and I was assured by a gentleman of credibility, that he has known them gallop their horses to the verge of a precipice, and when to the eye of the bystanders nothing could save them from being dashed to pieces, they have, by a dexterous use of their powerful curbs, brought their horses completely round, their fore legs describing an arc in the air HORSEMANSHIP. 273 beyond the cliffs as they accomplished the manoeuvre. This may be accounted for in some measure by the horses being trained to the use of the lasso. In chasing wild cattle, the moment the lasso leaves the hunter's hand, the horse instinctively throws the weight of his body on the opposite side, to receive the shock when the cattle come thundering down. The hunters are unerring in their aim and when, as it sometimes happens, they become outcasts from society, and take to highway plunder, the lasso in their hands becomes a fearful weapon. Ere the unsuspecting traveller has time to defend himself, or to judge of the nature of the assault, he is in the coil of the deadly lasso, and at the heels of his mur- derer's horse, being dragged towards his retreat. I rode out a few leagues in different directions from the city, and invariably found, after we had gained the summit of a range of more elevated land, that a magnificent plain, under high cultivation, spread its rich surface till bounded again by gradually rising eminences. There are no important rivers in any part of the country I traversed. A watercourse called the Maypo runs through Santiago, which is confined within certain boundaries by a wall several miles in extent, and of great strength and thickness. This watercourse (over which I stepped dry-footed), in which the rubbish swept from the streets of the city is deposited, where grass is growing, and where mules were browsing, is spanned by a bridge of ten arches, built by the old Spaniards. It is a massive solid construction of brickwork, on stone basements ; the space in the bed of the course between the VOL. I. T 274 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. arches being flagged with heavy stones. In the pre- sent state of the watercourse, one would be at a loss to conceive the import of such stalwart erections; it appears like employing a sledge hammer to destroy a gnat. But not many years ago, a more than usually heavy rainy season combining with the melting of the snows on the Cordilleras, Santiago was in danger of being swept away, the bed of the course being above the level of some parts of the city. Such was the rush and fearful accumula- tion of water, that the arches of the bridge, though not less than thirty feet in height, were blocked up by the whirling torrent. If either wall or bridge had given way, nothing could have saved the devoted city from destruction. A traditionary saying is recorded of the Indians, who prophesied that the Maypo would one day revenge all the wrongs and injuries they have sustained at the hands of the Spaniards. They have foretold that Santiago is to be destroyed by a flood ; and I must confess that when I contemplated its dead level site, shut in as it is on all sides by a barrier of mountains, the sup- position that such might be the case did not seem to me to be beyond the bounds of probability. One could easily imagine it to have been the bed in ages past of an inland lake, which has been left dry from subsequent elevation. A little distance from the city there is a beautiful public walk called the Alameda. It is a double pro- menade, formed by three rows of Lombardy poplars, nearly two miles in length, kept scrupulously clean, with stone benches between the trees on either side, LADIES OF VALPARAISO. 275 and clear limpid streams, confined by masonry, run- ning at the feet of the trees. Here it is the custom for the ladies to enjoy the cool zephyrs of evening till the darkness disperses them. I have not yet spoken of the ladies, which, doubtless, might cause my devotedness to them to be questioned ; but it is always with a timid and unassured step that I ap- proach these shrines of heaven's chief workman- ship. When young, the senoritas are eminently beautiful, possessing brilliant eyes and complexions, and the most luxuriant tresses, with exquisite forms ; but these fair proportions are subject to early decay, and the girl seen two or three years after marriage would not be recognised for the fairy figure that fascinated all eyes previously to it. In this they differ from my own fair countrywomen ; and lovely as the former are in youth, there is yet in the abiding loveliness of the ladies of my own land, a charm I have rarely seen equalled, never surpassed. The education of the ladies of Chili is not attended to with the same zealous care as that of our English girls, music and dancing forming their principal accomplishments; but there is much suavity and graceful ease in their manners. They enlist them- selves so warmly in behalf of a stranger, and evince such an unaffected yet earnest desire to please, that the warmest feelings of your nature are irresistibly enlisted in their favour. I think they surpass our countrywomen in their taste for dress and choice of material. They are happy in their selection of colours, which are of pleasing contrast, rich without being gaudy. During the gala days, the promenade T 2 276 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. and ball-room presented a lovely assemblage of ele- gance and beauty. I cannot speak much in favour of the way in which their balls were conducted (the balls in honour of the anniversary of their independence). Each ticket costs an ounce (37. 6s.) ; and nothing but ices were furnished as refreshments. The gentlemen, it is true, could retire to a saloon adjoining, and pro- cure what they pleased, by paying for it, but the delicate beings who stood far more in need of refresh- ment, were restrained by conventional forms from leaving the ball-room. I purchased a parcel of dulces and handed them indiscriminately to every lady I approached, the affable tone of society permitting them to be received in the friendly spirit with which they were offered ; and I only regretted that I could not venture to introduce something more substantial. The Chilenos of both sexes, are passionately fond of dulces, or sweetmeats, to which some attribute the premature decay of the teeth, as it is rare to meet a person of middle age possessing a good set. In Santiago they are afflicted with a very unsightly complaint called " gota," the same disease that pre- vails in some parts of Switzerland, and its primary cause attributed to the same source the water produced from the melting of the snow. The effect of two of the loveliest female faces I saw in Chili was destroyed by huge swellings in the neck, resulting from this distressing malady. When in- cipient symptoms first betray themselves, the com- plaint may be subdued by skilful treatment; but if allowed to obtain head, it is incurable. They have a QUILLOTA. 277 neat little theatre in Santiago ; but from not under- standing the language, the proceedings had very little interest for me ; and I confess that, in conse- quence of my ignorance, the gestures of the actors appeared ridiculously absurd. Between thirty and forty miles east by north from Valparaiso, is a town called Quillota. It is situated in a rural district of considerable extent and great fertility. The streets are laid out in the usual form of squares, and, from the little commercial business carried on in them, they may be traversed at almost any hour of the day with scarcely a soul to be met with. Every house, with its attached garden, is surrounded by a high mud wall which imparts the gloomy impression that you are walking within the confines of a prison. On being admitted within the walls, your sensations are changed to admiration at the snug retirement of all you see; at least with those who, like me, find enjoyment hi a country life. The houses, as usual, are built in a square, enclosing a court yard. In the country they are generally only one story, having comfortable verandahs covered with vines and flowering shrubs, which lead by separate doors to the various apartments. A little fountain plays in the court, or a beautiful spring of water is conducted by masonry along the verandahs. The garden, well stocked with fruit trees and vegetables, and watered by the same rill that sparkles past the verandahs or plays in the court, furnishes as pleasant a home to my taste as is to be desired. The pursuits followed here are strictly agricultural ; wheat is T 3 278 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. raised in great abundance, and I saw many extensive vineyards. The grapes will not dry into raisins; but from them are manufactured large quantities of a miserable description of wine called " chicha," the common drink of the country people. Chili abounds in copper mines, and it has some of gold and silver. The shortness of my stay did not admit of my visiting the mines about Santiago. The copper mines on the coast, more to the northward, are the most profitable, as they yield more abundantly, and supply the richest ores. Copper ore, wheat, hides, tallow, horns, and timber, are the natural exports from Chili. Hides, tallow, and horns were scarce at the time of my visit, and commanded high prices. Of the foreign commercial houses in Valparaiso, the English take the first rank, the Americans next, and then come Germans, French, and Italians ; but un- questionably the greater proportion of foreign com- merce is conducted by the English. In Chili, no man's signature is valid without a flourish appended, although the flourish subscribed to a promissory note or other document without the sig- nature is esteemed legally binding. In illustration and confirmation of this, the following anecdote was instanced : A man who could not write, but who had amassed considerable wealth, and was in the habit of negotiating monetary matters to some extent, had a bill presented to him subscribed by a X, the party's usual sign-manual. Having attentively considered it, he denied the genuineness of the document, and declared it to be a forgery. The matter was sub- mitted to the tribunal ; when the president inquired, CLIMATE AND DISEASE. 279 how as one cross was so like another, he could prove the individual one in dispute before the court was not of his own design. The man submitted that it would be a great hardship to compel him to betray the secret that was his sole protection, but if the president would solemnly bind himself not to divulge it, he would convince him that the cross attached to the bill now in court was a forgery. The president gave the necessary assurances, and the man explained, that on each occasion of making his cross, he invariably used his thumb as a guide to both strokes ; and he produced many documents, and every cross corresponded in its diagonal strokes to the outline of his thumb. The holder of the forgery was nonsuited. Valparaiso enjoys a temperate and healthy clime ; but in the summer months it is an exceedingly dis- agreeable place of abode, as the strong winds then prevailing from the southward involve it in clouds of dust and showers of sand, which renders quitting your house not only unpleasant, but absolutely pain- ful. The country, though salubrious, is subject to periodical visits of that ravaging disease, the small- pox ; and there is a pit on the plaiyanche, near the lighthouse, where the bodies of the poorer classes are thrown in just as they may have died. I had the curiosity to examine it ; and there, in a festering heap, lay male and female, infant and adult, old and young, ruthlessly hurled together ; the slimy and mouldering garments of the hapless wretches adding to the me- lancholy horrors of the revolting spectacle. I am at a loss to divine the wisdom of thus exposing to T 4 280 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. strangers the baleful disorders of the country, and the little respect that is shown to the dead. Valparaiso is liable to repeated shocks of earth- quakes, and it was matter of surprise that, during my stay, none were experienced. It is usual for a shock of greater or less violence to occur every week, and sometimes oftener. They have created more alarm at what might be the consequences than serious damage. But Concepcion to the southward, and Realejo to the northward, have both been laid in ruins. There is consequently a want of security in household property, which, though by no means generally admitted, is, I can plainly see, sufficiently felt. The aboriginal race would appear to be extinct in this part of Chili, as during my peregrinations I did not fall in with a single Indian. 281 CHAP. XL The classes that should quit England. Under weigh for Tahiti. Gambier's Islands. French Priests and their In- fluence. Timoe or Crescent Island. Osnaburg Island, or Matilda Rocks. Sight Ana. Drop Anchor in Taonoa Passage, Tahiti. French Protection forced on Tahiti by Admiral du Petit Thouars. Taken to the Calliboose by Natives. A Dish of Sauce from a Mutineer. Condo- lence from a Descendant of the House of Israel. Libera- tion from Confinement. The Captors tried and fined. The Author of" Typee" and " Omoo." His Memory assisted. Commodore Wilkes. Bound for Raiatea. Industry of the Natives. Tapoa, the King of Borabora. Tahaa and its Reefs, &c. Bound on another Pearling Voyage. The Island of Ohiteroa or Rurutu. Tedious Passage to Rapa. Engage Divers with Difficulty. Tioo. The Queen of Rapa. Her Character for Gallantry. Religion of the People. A narrow Escape. Bass's Rocks. Adverse Winds. Gambier's Islands again. Conduct of French Priests. Behaviour of Mareva Natives. Leave Gambier's Islands. A Comet. Sight Lord Hood's Island. Les four Facardines. Thrum Cap Island. At Anchor in the La- goon of Bow Island. Engage Bow Islanders Sudden Sickness and Death of a Native. Visible Tokens from the Tupapan. An Arrival from Amann. Perfidy of a Sandwich Islander. Fishing Excursions. Cease Diving fur want of Food. A Fugitive from the Island of Faeatae. Return of the Schooner. Captain's Report. The Jules de Blosville, a French Brig. Conduct of her Captain. Give up Diving. Remarks on Pearls. The "Doctor's" Saucepan. A Calm. Aviri, or Prince William Henry Island. A Gale. Sight Rapa. Go ashore in a Boat. Mortality amongst the Natives. Superstitiously accounted for. Parting Benediction from Rapa. Gale renewed. 282 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Speak the French Barque Jules Cesar. The Gale con- tinues. Again fall in with the Jules Cesar. Isle Masa- fuera. Juan Fernandez. Reach Valparaiso. Arrival of a Schooner. Bad Passage made by every Vessel coming from the Westward. Loss of the Vessel into which Cargo C5 had been transhipped at Tahiti for Sydney. " Thy spirit, Independence, let me share, Lord of the lion heart and eagle eye ; And I will follow with my bosom bare, Nor heed the storm that howls along the sky." I WOULD recommend any young man, "grounded in the rudiments," capable of using his hands, or pos- sessing any kind of useful knowledge, and who may be ashamed to work in England, or who may be struggling for mere existence, or the means of con- cealing that poverty which is blighting his soul, to quit it ; never mind in what capacity, or how humi- liating for the time. England is too crowded with shabby gentility for it to obtain much trust; and to confess poverty is almost as good a recommen- dation as a written discharge from Bridewell. But on a young man's going abroad, if there is no stain upon his character, more sympathy is felt towards him by his countrymen, and the generous hand of assistance is much more promptly extended. Let him refrain from abusing any change in his fortune for the better, and ten chances to one but he succeeds in life. Too many, after finding themselves relieved from a life of pinching care and griping necessity, are apt to fall into excesses by too freely indulging in those pleasures which were formerly beyond their reach. Above all things, let him abstain GAMBLER'S ISLANDS. 283 from the wine cup ; for if he once yield to this in- toxicating vice, good bye to him. Having experienced much kindness and liberal accommodation in a business point of view, on October 1st we cleared from our moorings, and got under weigh for Tahiti. We had two French passengers to be dropped at Gambier's Island, and a French lady for Tahiti. November 2nd. This afternoon we let go the " mud-hook " in the harbour of Gambier's Island. Gambier's Isles are a cluster of five or six, sur- rounded by a coral reef, with breaks in it ; the water within the reef is full of coral patches, forming in- numerable beds for the mother-of-pearl oyster. The best passage through the coral belt on entering is the break at the S. E. by S. extremity, and the best channel out again is S. S. W. by ~W. ; but Captain Beechey's chart of the group is so accurate, that any one possessing it needs no other instructions. The islands rise high and bluff directly from the water ; there is scarcely any level land upon them adap- ted for agricultural purposes. Peard Island, the largest of the group, rises nearly 1300 feet high, in two conical peaks, which by Captain Beechey has been christened Mount Duff. The native name for this island is Mangarava, and that of the group collectively Marava. The natives resemble the Pau- mutuans, but their dialect approaches more nearly to that of the New Zealanders. Within the last seven years, three French missionaries, of the papal per- suasion have established themselves upon the island ; and the control they have contrived to acquire over 284 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the simple Inhabitants must be seen to be believed : it is so absolute, that their very movements appear to be guided by what the missionaries would think of them. They have churches erected on every island ; and that on Peard Island would not disgrace any civilised country. It is built of stone ; the roof supported by two rows of massive stone pillars, nine in each row, forming an aisle on either side; the ceiling in the centre of the building being dome- shaped, arching over from the pillars. The floor is neatly flagged ; and where the altar is erected, it is elevated two steps, and formed of tessellated black and white stone. A neatly carved balustrade sepa- rates the chancel from the main body of the building, and a crucifix, " as large as life," surmounts the altar. So much scenic display, and the mysterious cere- monies used in the Romish Church, are well calcu- lated to dazzle the senses, and instil awe into the minds of the ignorant heathen, as in their own practices they invariably used emblems to appeal to the senses ; and, short as is the time that it has taken to effect it, and few the labourers, the natives are completely enslaved body and soul. The wonders that have arisen before their eyes, through the instrumentality of these priests, have inspired them with fear as much as any other emotion ; they are full of amazement at their resources and their power ; and their displeasure is dreaded in proportion to the extent that this feeling can be excited. What filled me with the greatest astonishment was, that the priests have actually established a nunnery, in which they have contrived to immerse, at this FRENCH PEIESTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE. 285 present writing, ninety native women. The build- ing is on a bare shoulder of Mount Duff, so that no one can approach or leave it without the priest's knowledge. The women on the island are in- structed to conceal themselves on the approach of a man, and during my rambles every woman that I saw at a distance made her escape to some place of retirement on my meeting her observation. With the exception of two withered old women I had no opportunity of judging of the features of any of the females on the islands. I only saw two of the "Fathers," jolly, portly built fellows, with such rotundity of paunch that one is irresistibly led to the conclusion, that such could only be obtained by the fasting, vigils, and denying penances of Robin Hood's friar. I wonder if their visits to the nun- nery are frequent ; it strikes me that the Harem of the Grand Turk is more excusable than such a system of Church government. Pumpkins, plantains, cocoa-nuts, and other fruit and vegetables, with fish, form the chief diet of the natives. I saw no quadrupeds but a dog and a few sheep belonging to a Frenchman. The natives are expert divers, and many cargoes of pearl shell have been collected from this group ; but any attempt to procure a cargo now, by their assistance, would be almost certain to leave a loss. Between twenty and thirty miles east from the southern belt of coral of Gambier's Islands, a low sandy isle just shows itself above the water. We ran past it, and congratulated ourselves that we did not make it at nightfall. By us it has been called 286 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Crescent Island, by the natives Timoe ; and is scarcely discernible six miles off. There are no cocoa-nut trees on it ; and though marked on the charts as being inhabited, it has long ceased to be so, the inhabitants, from its extreme unhealthiness and scar- city of food, having migrated to Gambier's Islands. Nov. 3rd. Having landed the t\vo Frenchmen with their goods this afternoon, we again shaped our course to Tahiti. Nov. 5th. At eight o'clock A. M. made Osnaburg's Island, called also the Matilda Rocks. It is of con- siderable length, very low, and at the east end, judging from the surf, a sunken reef runs out to some extent. We ran past it at four or five miles distance ; and the only vegetation distinguishable were clumps of the fara or pandanus. It exhibited no tokens of being inhabited; and the Chain Islanders informed me that, like most of the Paumutu Islands, it had a lagoon, which was large, but so full of sharks, that they had never ventured to dive there. It is laid down in latitude 22 S., and longitude 138 37' W. ; our chronometer put it ten miles further to the west- ward at noon. We likewise discovered that its correct latitude is 21 50' S. Nov. 8th. At daylight we were about seven miles distant from Ana. The land bearing nearly west from us, we ran in as close as we dared, and hove to for a couple of hours, to see if any canoes would come off to us ; but such a tremendous surf was breaking on the reef, that we supposed it was impracticable. We could see the natives walking along the beach, and two or three new houses theye hav erected for the TAKEN TO THE CALLIBOOSE. 287 accommodation of traders, which were greatly needed; as, when I first landed there, my brains almost boiled in my skull for want of shelter, and the refracted heat from the white sands peeled my nose like an onion. Not seeing any canoes, and the wind being strong from the south-east, at eight o'clock A. M. we packed all sail upon the vessel, and on the afternoon of the 9th of November dropped anchor in Taonoa Passage, Tahiti ; and somewhat to our astonishment, received the intelligence that Admiral du Petit Thouars had, during our absence, visited the island in the Heine Blanche, and, by the terror of his guns, forced Queen Pomare to accept the protection of the French government. He had left on shore two officers from his vessel, who, with the French consul, now formed the provisional government of the country. There was great talk of what the French were going to do; but being busied with my own pursuits, I paid, little attention to idle speculations, till they were forced upon my notice in the following unpleasant manner. Two or three evenings subsequently to our return, in taking a stroll in the cool shady walk at the back of the settlement, I stopped at an open native bouse to light a cigar. Sud- denly the house was surrounded by men, and two or three of them entered and commenced jostling me. Not dreaming that any violence was intended, I merely pushed the intruders good-humouredly from me, and finished kindling my cigar. " Hare ute, hare ute ! " (Go away, go away I), said the leader of the mob ; " Eiaha e ru !" (Don't be in a hurry !), I replied, as I stepped into the moonlight : but now they began 288 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. handling me in a way that excited my suspicions, and I indignantly shook myself free from their imperti- nences. In a moment I was prostrate : some of the younger of the party had precipitated themselves to the ground and jerked me by the ancles, which had caused me to stumble backwards across their bodies ; and before I could recover myself, I was elevated on the shoulders of ten or a dozen of them, who clutched my body wherever they could find hand-room. I was so surprised that, for a time, I remained speech- less, incapable of either remonstrance or resistance. Presently, a sense of my situation came over me, and I made so desperate a struggle to release myself, that we all went rolling in the dust together. But it would have been better had I remained quiet, for I was on their shoulders again in an instant, and this time they clutched my flesh as well as clothes. " Put me down, you fools ; put me down," said I ; " you don't know what you're doing, fools that you are!" " Mama fa rue " (a cant phrase, tantamount to "Fools, with a hook") was the only rejoinder, and they persisted in carrying me further inland. In this way I was conveyed for about three quarters of a mile, when, to my horror, I discovered that they were taking me to a calliboose, where a party of mutineers were confined. Again I struggled to free myself, and once more we were rolling in the dust. But without troubling themselves to raise me a third time, they caught me by the heels, and dragged me along the ground until they had forced my ancles into a massive pair of wooden stocks, in which six or A DISH OF SAUCE FROM A MUTINEER. 289 seven of the worst of the mutineers were also con- fined. My passion at this outrageous indignity was so great, that my tongue refused its office, and with my throat, became parched as if by fire. The mutineers appeared mightily tickled at my position, and indulged in exceedingly gross and insulting re- marks, one of them excepted, who, feeling for my situation, kindly doubled his mattress under my back, which brought my head to a level with my heels. But there was another of them who had contrived to liberate himself when the stocks were raised for the reception of my legs ; and this fellow, apparently the ringleader and spokesman for the others, commenced an oration, addressing me in the most offensive style, instituting comparisons, rejoicing that one of the "swells" had got a taste of the stocks, and offering me a highly spiced dish of ironical sympathy : this loosened my tongue. "You cowardly ruffian! Can't you confine your remarks to those of your own station, without taking advantage of the ignorant folly of these natives to insult a man who never offered you any injury, but whom a caprice of fortune has thrown into this degraded position a position doubtless well merited by you ? If I but had my limbs as free as you have got your tongue, I'd play such a peal about your ears as should teach you for the future to confine it to its proper sphere." Uttering a volley of oaths, the dastardly dog hereupon drew his sheath knife, and threw himself upon me, helpless as I lay ; and such was the mad- dened state of excitement I was in, that, regardless VOL. i. u 290 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of all consequences, I turned to grasp him ; and it was well that his companions interfered, for if I had caught him, I should have inflicted upon him sum- mary justice. The natives outside, hearing the scuf- fle, made their appearance, and quickly disposed of this specimen of the bowie-knife genus, by making his head take the place of his heels, and again re- ducing the latter to the loving embrace of the heavy timber ; but whilst he was undergoing the operation, four of them held me like a vice in my position. Order restored, and the peace-makers having retired, the same kind fellow who had given me up his mat- tress voluntereed to liberate me from my'confinement ; but this service I could not accept at his hands, for infamous as the treatment was to which I Avas subjected, I could not render myself the accomplice of a mutineer. The impotency of my wrath was devouring me, when the sound of horse's feet was heard, and the grinning face of one of the tribe of Issachar presented itself at the prison door. In gratitude for the prompt aid he afforded me, let me delineate the portrait of this unique sample of his race. He was a petty store-keeper, and impressed to admiration with notions of his own importance, endeavoured by the aid of highly polished boots, tightly strapped trowsers, a close fitting cloth coat, and an almost throttled neck, to inspire others with similar views. This classic face, innocent of whisker, was not exactly in true Grecian keeping, as the hand of the modeller had passed heavily over the lower extremity, and had given a twist to his jaws which imparted to the facial angle an appear- LIBERATION FROM CONFINEMENT. 291 ance not badly illustrated by a lay down O formed in a tyro's copy-book. He admitted that he had a peculiar nose, which, with his pursed up mouth, vacant eye, and heavy brow, gave him, when his features were in repose, an expression like that of a meditative sick monkey. " My eye ! " chuckled this sapient son of the descendants of Israel, as if it was the finest piece of fun imaginable, ee Is that you ? " " You grinning idiot, have you lost your sight ? Can you do nothing else but stand there and grin?" enquired I. " Are you aware that you yourself are liable to be thrust into this disgraceful position ? Why don't you go and raise the neighbourhood, stating the way in which the British residents are being treated, instead of showing your teeth there like a buck rat ? " Somewhat startled at this ener- getic appeal, the alarmed Israelite ducked his head, hastily remounted his horse, and made the best of his way to his own quarters. Judging by the tones of my voice that all was not right, the natives began to be alarmed for the con- sequences of their proceedings, and despatched a messenger to the French consul to know if they would be supported in what they had done. It was by the intrigues of this very consul, and under a plea of far less consequence than the gross outrage inflicted upon me, that Du Petit Thouars caused Pomare to sign away the independence of her king- dom. The consul's trepidation may therefore be con- ceived when the intelligence of my arrest was con- veyed to him. Two of the chiefs were immediately u 2 292 KOVJNGS IN THE PACIFIC. sent to liberate me ; but I refused to move until I knew for what reason I had been so shamefully handled, and until the parties who had maltreated me were placed in my situation. " To-morrow ! to-morrow ! go to bed now : the men have been fools ; we are very sorry, but they shall all be tried ; " and raising me from my flea- tenanted couch, the two chiefs accompanied me to my residence. Five days elapsed before the men were brought to trial : and then thirteen who had been implicated in the assault were tried before a native tribunal, the members of the provisional government being also present. The only defence set up was, that as I was out after eight o'clock tl>ey thought they had a right to capture me, although I was well known to the whole of them. The judges, after mature deliberation, found the men guilty of a wanton assault, and fined them in the penal sum of twenty dollars. Twenty dollars ! I demanded leave to address the court, and then told it, that if twenty dollars was all the punishment to be inflicted, I would freely pay double the sum to cause each individual to undergo the same corporal punishment I had experienced; for my body was bruised from my feet to my neck, and a suit of clothes had been torn to ribbons. " Don't be in a hurry ! don't be in a hurry ! let us look more carefully and see what the law says." The second examination proved more satisfactory, and each individual was fined twenty dollars; one half the sum to go to the government, and the other half to me. I expressed my willingness to be con- REPUTED AUTHOR OF " TYPEE" AND "OMOO." 293 tent with this verdict, provided the sentence was enforced. The judges undertook that it should be ; and in order that it might not be supposed I was governed by mercenary motives, I requested that my share of the fines should be handed to the missionary resident, that the same might be applied in repairing the native church, which had fallen into a dilapidated condition. Since the above entry was made in my journal, two works have appeared, " Typee " and " Omoo," purporting to have been written by Herman Melville. By his own showing Herman Melville has been a most reckless loafer, caring not a pin what enterprises were ruined so long as he could indulge the gratification of his own propensities. Gratitude for his escape, and horror at the reminiscences of the hardships to which he had been exposed, impel him to acknowledge the kind manner he was received on board the Julia, where he met with every attention. His sketches are amusing, and skilfully drawn, but bear as much rela- tion to truth as a farthing does in value to a sovereign. It is as if the said Herman Melville had burnished and gilded the farthing, and then circulated it as the gold coin. With those unable to detect the difference, it would of course pass current. Herman Melville I love to repeat his name working upon detached images profusely scattered throughout Polynesia, has drawn largely upon a fertile imagination in grouping them, and thrown together an exceed- ingly spirited narrative ; but regardless of all truth, gratitude, or manliness, has grossly scandalized by name some worthy men living at Tahiti, who very u 3 294 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. probably have done more good, gratuitously, to their fellows since their residence there, than Herman Melville has done during his whole existence. I allude more particularly to Dr. Johnstone, who has been most grievously misrepresented, and consider- ably to his injury. But as Herman Melville has been so free in giving publicity to certain names, it is a pity he did not extend his candour, perhaps his memory failed him, as he " kept no notes." How- ever, I will try and jog it for him. After the first desertion with which he pleases to acquaint the pub- lic, and his subsequent escape from the horrors of a residence in a narrow ravine, shut in by boulders and inaccessible cliffs, his companions naked savages, hideously tattooed, and ferocious as demons, unable to speak their language, trembling for his life, and without food adapted to his European origin, I say, after his escape from this wretched state of existence, in his first deep-felt emotion at the mercy that had been vouchsafed to him, he acknowledges the debt and expresses his gratitude ; but how does he ulti- mately repay it? Why, according to his own account, he is incapable of all bodily exertion ; and he knows no other way of repaying the obligation he has incurred but by being the instigator of a mutiny, that he, and others like him, may be sent ashore at Tahiti, where they could loaf and sponge at will, till the chance offered of their ruining some other voyage, if peradventure any one could be found to receive such worthies on board his vessel. It was the Sydney whaling barque Lucy Ann, Captain Yentom, that had the honour of HERMAN MELVILLE IN TAHITI. 295 bringing Typee-Omoo Herman Melville to Tahiti ; and in the month of June 1848, this said barque Lucy Ann was lying at Anatam, one of the New Hebrides, taking in sandal wood. So much for the way in which the cook used to pick her to pieces for firewood. Herman Melville, undoubtedly the ring- leader of the mutineers, was lying in the calliboose when I was dragged there ; and from the un- English way in which the ruffian who assaulted me handled his knife, I have the strongest suspicion that it was Herman Melville who threw himself upon a bound defenceless man; and I only regret that, amongst his other reminiscences, he omitted to take notice of this. That he was in the calliboose at the time, there is not a question ; and that the man w T as a Yankee who threw himself upon me I will swear, not only from the peculiar intonation of his voice, his pale unwhiskered face, and the thatch-like way in which his hair fell on either side of it, but from the glib-like nature of his tongue a qualifica- tion by no means uncommon with ordinary American seamen, which may be accounted for from the fact, that many of them are grown men before they think of gratifying a roving fancy, and are much more devoted to loafing and reading, than attending to their duties. I had the curiosity to search Dr. Johnstone's medical diary : the names of all the mutineers were enrolled there, and amongst them stands Herman Melville's. The whole of the doctor's charges for medicine and medical attendance amounts to but a few dollars ; and the only item charged against Her- u 4 296 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. man Melville Is a bottle of embrocation, as the man complained of pains in his limbs : but the doctor believing him to be an impostor, which by the way I think he has clearly shown himself to have been, paid no further heed to his complaints. His pains, I expect, might be traced to the same source as the valley which he describes in Moorea, and which has existence only in the regions of his imagination. Herman Melville possesses a felicitous pen, with a humorous knack of hitting off little peculiarities of character ; and if he had confined himself to these, without publishing names, or making gross aspersions upon worthy men, his works might have gone down the stream with other harmless and amusing produc- tions ; but he has passed base coin for sterling, and for so doing, deserves exposure and contempt.* * "When in Hong Kong (see Chapter XXI.), I saw by the Reviews that another work, yclept " Mardi," purporting also to be written by Typee-Omoo Herman Melville, had been intro- duced to the world. It has not been my chance to peruse the whole ; but, from what I have seen, it would appear the opening part might have come from the " ready pen" to which common rumour has ascribed it, but that the fustian rant of the great bulk would indicate other paternity. From the similes and comparisons introduced in " Typee " and " Omoo" having refe- rence principally to English prototypes, and from the warm partizanship displayed in defence of Lord George Paulet's pro- ceedings at the Sandwich Islands, I am irresistibly led to infer that the said "Typee" and "Omoo" were not a little indebted to a more skilled and practised hand than Herman Melville's. True to himself, however, in one respect, Herman Melville does not hesitate to let us know that he again practises the unmanly trick of desertion from the very next vessel he enters on board of. Is it likely then, that a man so unscrupulous would have COMMODORE AVILKES. 297 Another American writer against whom there is just cause of complaint, for the unworthy use he makes of his pen, is Commodore Charles Wilkes, the compiler of the " Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition." After a preliminary coy coquetting with his subject, to impress upon the world the momentous nature of his undertaking, he carries on his labours with a reconciled air, and pro- ceeds, in rather an inflated and egotistical style, to discuss scientific questions and theories, all of which I have read in other works ; but dealt with in a style so vigorous and masterly, and supported by such masses of observation, that one is led shrewdly to suspect that Commodore Wilkes is as much indebted to his library as to his travels for the result of the reflections he has committed to paper. The impression which a perusal of Commodore "Wilkes's work has made upon me is, that he is a " universal knowledge " man, possessing acquaint- ance with a little of every thing in general, and nothing in particular ; and that he has allowed his vanity to betray him into interfering with the labours of every department, to the prejudice of the expedition. I have heard practical nautical men quiz his antarctic cruise ; others wonder at his digression to any compunctious visitings of conscience at dressing himself, like the daw in the fable, with borrowed plumes. As the bastard in "King John" would not believe that "Old Sir Robert" could beget him, neither will I believe that " Typee" and " Omoo " and " Mardi " are emanations from the same pen. " Compare their faces and be judge yourself." 298 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. inform us of Sydney and its convicts, as being matter foreign to the nature of the expedition ; and others, again, express their astonishment at the ( ' awful " time he himself required to settle a position at the Feejee Islands. But he would have been spared strictures or remarks of mine, if he had not availed himaelf of the dear-bought experience of an enter- prising man, and repaid the obligation by holding up to public obloquy the person who had rendered him such essential service. One word upon this subject, and we will quit it for ever. Not the least important part of the duty to be performed, and expected at his hands by his country, was an accurate survey of the Feejee Islands. Com- modore Wilkes had his misgivings as he approached these islands, and brought to at the island of Tonga ; the Porpoise having already preceded him there, and where he also found the English schooner Currency Lass, commanded by a Mr. Wilson, who, whatever foible he may possess, has ever enjoyed a character for high integrity and unimpeached veracity. He is the son of one of the oldest and most guileless of the missionary residents in Polynesia, a man of educa- tion, and at that time possessed a more practical knowledge of the Feejee Islands than any one Commodore Wilkes could have fallen in with. No charts at Commodore Wilkes's disposal in any way approximated to the true position of many of the islands of the group ; and Mr. Wilson, with the readiest kindness, not only lent him his chart, which he had constructed from actual survey, but also gave him one of his own crew, who had been residing COUNSEL TO COMMODORE WILKES. 299 some years at the Feejee islands, and who could speak the native language. Relieved from a load of anxiety by the obliging urbanity of Mr. Wilson, how does Commodore Wilkes return thanks? By letting the world know that a small trading schooner of eighty tons burthen had boldly pioneered his way, and freed him from much vain conjecture ? Xot at all ! He listens to complaints of some convicts escaped from Xew South Wales, whom Mr. Wilson had unfortunately intrusted with property to trade for him, and he publishes to the world his belief that Mr. Wilson is a rogue and a swindler. Were you fearful, Commodore Wilkes, that Mr. Wilson should give publicity to his claim for notice in the service he had rendered you, and did you trust, by first traducing his character, to cause doubts to be entertained of any assertions he might make ? Con- duct exactly in keeping with that of the unjust steward in Scripture, but utterly unworthy that of a public officer placed in so prominent a position. For shame, Commodore Wilkes ! Is this the dig- nified sense you entertain of a first national expe- dition, fitted out for scientific and useful purposes ? Had you no prototype to keep you clear from handing to posterity such village scandal ? Muffle your ears with a stiff starched cap, Commodore Wilkes, and act like the immaculate maiden lady that was confined with twins carry about with you a reticule, in which to bestow your delicious morn- ing's gossip ; but desist from exploring expeditions. Mr. Wilson has been for the last seven years con- tinually upon the waters, and only recently had your 300 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. ungenerous aspersions brought under his notice. Whether he will condescend to reply to them I know not; but, as I have been personally acquainted with him for many years, I take this opportunity of pub- licly proclaiming them to be groundless, and at the same time expressing the opinion that your work has been as much indebted, without acknowledgment, to other writers, as you were to Mr. Wilson for his assistance and personal experience, when you were about to engage in the survey of the Feejee Islands. November 29th. The rainy season has set in early ; we have scarcely had a dry day since our return. To- day we cleared the western passage from Papeeti, bound for Raiatea. December 1st. Only just off the north end of the island of Huaheine. As the wind was against us, and it was growing dusk, we ran into its harbour, which is situated on the north-west side. Huaheine consists of two islands, connected by a coral reef, through which there is a passage foi boats. It resembles Tahiti in all its features, but is not so extensive. An encircling ring of coral gives birth to the placid basins between it and the main. The missionary station is in the bay we entered; and the cheerful faces, and the content and happiness apparent in the pretty settlement, do credit to the labours of the mild and good old missionary resident. It is a busy little community, and all around be- tokened the general industry of the natives. Several were engaged in ship-building, unaided by Europeans; and I saw them forging their own bolts and iron- work for their vessels with as much facility as HUAHEINE. 301 regular artisans. There are several schooners, from eighteen to twenty-five tons burthen, built entirely by natives, and as many as seven or eight were on the stocks, in various stages towards completion. The entrance through the reef to the harbour is narrow. There is a sunken rock at the larboard side of the passage as you enter ; a vessel of light draught might pass over, but a ship of ordinary burthen would strike upon it. The natives appear more free and joyous than those of Tahiti; and, when the sun went down, it was delightful to hear them singing their native chants beneath the shade of the trees upon the beach. Many of them have beautiful voices, particularly the females; and the language is soft and adapted to melody. In their moral character they do not differ from the Tahitians ; they are thoughtless, and apparently happy beings, living only for the hour. Religious feelings they have none ; but their natural goodness of disposition makes them desirous to conceal from the eyes of their old pastor any thing that may give him offence. He is no gloomy ascetic, endeavouring to sour the lives of those whose morals he is unable to improve ; but if one may judge from the mild and steady way in which he perseveres in the effort to do good, he is more likely to succeed by his example than those who would crush the body to save the soul, or those who denounce sin from the pulpit, but enjoy its pleasures in the closet. He is one of the very few amongst the missionaries whose private character is unimpeached by native or European ; but, poor man, he has many obstacles in his way to prevent the inculcation of sound moral principles. 302 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. December 2nd we purchased our anchor, and in the evening again let it go in twenty-two fathoms water, in the north-east harbour of Raiatea. This island, with another called Tahaa, is encircled by one coral reef, extending a considerable way from the land. There are several safe entrances through it. That which we took was about a quarter of a mile wide, and the shoalest soundings seven fathoms. The anchorage is good, but deep; the least depth of water in eligible places being eighteen fathoms. We were nearly getting ashore as we approached the breakers : the wind suddenly died away, and left us at the mercy of the current, which it was feared would sweep us into them before we could get assistance. We fired signal guns, and a native pilot, with a well manned boat, came to our aid in the very nick of time, and towed us to our station. Raiatea is ruggedly mountainous, and the lowland at the base of the mountains is wet and swampy. The labours of the missionaries have not been so successful here as at Huaheine, the comforts and cleanliness of life being far less attended to ; though the natives do not lack industry and enterprise, as is evinced by their ship-building, and by the quantities of cocoa-nut oil and arrow-root which they manu- facture. December 3rd. jWeighed anchor and ran along inside the reef, coasting the shore, till we again dropped it on the north-west side of the island, oppo- site a passage called Iluaru, known more generally as Captain Hunter's Passage, from a person of that name having resided there for many years. He was KAIATEA AND TAHAA. 303 a shipwright by trade, and has built two or three small vessels since his residence there; and from him, principally, have the natives acquii'ed their knowledge of ship-building. He is a singularly bold and enterprising man, and well maintains the energy of the British character. Having discharged into a vessel bound for Sydney, we returned to our pre- vious anchorage, where I commenced a brisk trade with the natives for cocoa-nut oil, lime juice, &c. &c. The market exhausted, we bore away for the island of Borabora, running within the reef and coasting Tahaa, which is indented with many beautiful little bays, spotted with islets. We left Tahaa by a pas- sage through the reef on the west-south-west side, a passage by no means to be admired, although I have seen worse. December I4:th, Rounding the southern extremity of Borabora, we beat our way through a passage nearly half a mile wide, and cast anchor within a cable's length of the shore, on the west by south side of the island. To the northward of Borabora is a small island called Tubai, and to the westward, a little northerly, another small island, by the natives called Maupiti. Tapoa, the king of Borabora, is the most civilised native I have seen. His house is fur- nished in the European style, superior to any native house amongst the Georgian or Society Isles, and his table is served and attended just like that of an English family. He is intelligent and hospitable, and transacts a good deal of commission business between Europeans and his people. Articles of European manufacture are left with him (prints and 304 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. calicoes chiefly), which he exchanges for cocoa-nut oil, arrow-root, &c. He receives a certain per-centage on the amount of goods he disposes of, and also a commission on the quantity of oil, &c. he collects and stores. Other chiefs also act as agents ; but none bear the same high reputation for strict integrity and exactness as Tapoa. During my stay on the island I resided at his house, and received excellent accom- modation. " Like master, like man," the Boraborean natives are looked upon as the manliest of the group ; and their island is, certainly, the most singularly formed. It is bold and mountainous, and a conical stone bluff shoots up perpendicularly from its centre, attaining the altitude of fourteen or fifteen hundred feet. For several hundred feet this bluff is like a scarped wall overgrown with a species of lichen ; and after heavy rains it has a most romantic effect, from the number of rills gushing out of crevices, and glancing like streams of silver till lost in mist. There are several small islets enclosed within the boundary reef investing Borabora, fertile in cocoa- nut trees ; and whether from the better spirit of the people, or more judicious government, this small island has yielded more commercial produce than any of the Leeward group. December 16th. I had the honour of entertaining the king and royal family on board to dinner ; and when his majesty and suite had retired, we got under weigh and cleared the passage. We passed to the northward of Borabora, and coasted the north and north-east side of Tahaa. The Tahaa reef runs out to a considerable extent ; and it would be CLEAR OUT FOR TAHITI. 305 advisable for a person unacquainted with the islands not to approach too close in hazy weather, or his first intimation of danger might be received on his finding himself hard and fast. Groves of cocoa-nut and other trees in detached patches on the reef, lend variety to the scenery of Tahaa ; and it had, for me, quite a romantic charm. From what cause I know not, but the island is very sparsely inhabited. December 16th. Again dropped anchor in the harbour of Huaheine ; bartered for cocoa-nut oil, lime juice, and other island produce, till the supplies were exhausted ; and, on December 21st, cleared out and stood for Tahiti. December 23rd. Entered the western passage, and dropped anchor within a cable's length from the shore. Finding a vessel bound for Sydney, we freighted on board her the cargo I had collected; then, taking in ballast and provisions, on January 5th, 1843, we stood out to sea, bound for the island of Rapa. I had determined on proceeding on another pearling voyage, and the natives of this island had been strongly recommended to me as the best divers I could procure. They spoke the same language as the Tahitians ; and, as shame for my folly in suffering myself to be so grossly duped by my valiant interpreter induced me to give him the 1000 dollars stipulated for, rather than quibble and prove the impracticability of his fulfilling his contract (which he failed in doing), I was now bent on making what amends I could ; for, of a verity, the interpreter was of very little service to me : but, happily or unhappily, I do not possess the tempera- VOL. i. x 306 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. ment to bind a man down to the letter of the law, if I fancy he has tried to do his best. January 9th. At half-past ten P.M. we sighted land. As this was an unexpected vision, we stood off and on till morning. It proved to be the island called on the chart Ohiteroa. It is laid down thirty miles too far to the eastward. We made its position latitude 22 29' S., and longitude 151 22' W. It is rather high bluff land, and has bold water close to. The chief settlement is on the east by north side. The in- habitants are quiet gentle people, and use the Tahi- tian dialect ; they call the island Rurutu. It has no harbour, and no encircling reef. I went on shore and staid a few hours trading for refreshments, and then continued our course. February 5 tk. Sighted Rapa, having been ex- actly a calendar month beating a passage, which, with a fair wind, is not more than an ordinary six day's run. We were led to expect that the winds would prevail from the south-east, but, unfortunately, after we had beaten our way to the southward, and were several degrees higher than Rapa, the wind came from the northward, and we could not gain in our approach to the island. On reference to the log, it appears that, as we altered the bearings of the island, so did the wind shift, and blow exactly from the point we wanted to make. All judgment was baffled by the extraordinary perversity of the winds, as, try what tack we would, so would they be sure to meet us ; the weather, moreover, was squally and wet in the extreme, which, I am told, is regular Rapa weather. I despaired of our making the island at all ; ANCHOR AT RAPA. 307 once or twice I felt disposed to relinquish the attempt. At length, by close beating and short tacks, we managed to get to the eastward ; and a slant coming from the southward, we clapped on all sail, and at five A. M. of this date the island was discernible. At ten A. M. we lowered the boat, and pulled in to ex- amine the harbour. The entrance to it is through a coral reef, exactly on the south-east side of the island. The passage is narrow, winding, and intricate. But having threaded its intricacies, you suddenly find your- self floatingin a land-locked basin, enclosed with shelv- ing hills. There is not a hundred square yards of level land on the island ; and such level patches as do exist are swampy bottoms, probably from the unceasing drainings of the acclivitous hills. This swampy soil is favourable to the growth of tarro, which con- sequently is the chief vegetable production of the place. A cocoa-nut tree will not grow here, nor do I believe it flourishes without the tropics. The day was Sunday, and the natives would not enter into any con- versation about business ; but, strange to say, though they were rigidly strict in abstaining from labour and barter on this day, they made not the slightest scruple to enter into certain negociations about their wives and daughters. As I foresaw some delay in engaging men and obtaining food, I had the vessel brought in a course which I would not recommend any one in a hurry to follow. You must have a fair wind to take you out again ; and as the winds for the greater part of the year prevail from the east, you run the risk of being detained a prisoner for weeks at a stretch. No sooner were we at anchor, than just as my mind x 2 308 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. foreboded, the winds came strong from the south- east ; and it was ten days before we had a chance of getting out again. The natives speak the Tahitian dialect, but have also one of their own. After much cross purpose, lying, and debate, on the part of the chiefs, they at length gave their consent for my taking away a number of men as divers. Most on the island were desirous to go, being miserably off for clothing and articles of European manufacture, but the chiefs instigated them to enter into no en- gagement unless I would give very exorbitant pay. The winds not allowing me to leave the harbour, I was in no hurry to drive the bargain ; but the dread of their chiefs prevailed, and I was ultimately compelled to give the monthly payment they demanded or go without them. I laid in a large stock oftioo for them, made from the tarro. The tarro is first washed and scraped free from all fibres of the outer coating ; and it is laid up in pits lined with leaves and grass, and well covered over with stones. In this manner it becomes consolidated into a paste-like mass, and will keep for a year or two. It has to me a sour and very un- pleasant flavour, being something like that of turned cream cheese ; and its smell is like that of a strong cheese. The natives are passionately fond of it, and will eat three or four pounds weight of it at a meal if they can get it. They say it makes them dive well, particularly if they eat plenty of it, which is certainly not to be wondered at ; but they say the bread- fruit tioo gives them the shivers, and sets them shaking all over. A queen presides over the destinies of Rapa. She QUEEN OF EAPA. 309 is a widow ; and the talk was, that as soon as our vessel had taken its departure a meeting of the chiefs would be convened to debate the propriety of deposing her from her high rank, for her gallantries with her subjects. By native law, the subject parti- cipating in her unlawful pleasures is considered guilty of high treason, and death is the punishment ; but, in order to procure condemnation, a chief must be a witness to the fact ; and though the crime may have been committed fifty times, and have been witnessed by fifty different persons, still, if no one of the eye-witnesses ranks as chief, the culpable party cannot be condemned. Her majesty is an elderly and not good-looking personage, and her last criminal act was shared with a stout stripling almost young enough to be her grandson. They have missionary teachers, natives of Tahiti, amongst them. The observance of the Sabbath is enforced by the chiefs, although, like all other natives I have seen, their religion is merely the service of the lip. The common people are restrained from doing their will by fear of their chiefs ; the latter never allow their religion to stand in the way of their personal interests. February \3th. It being a dead calm, we tried to tow out of the harbour ; but though we had four boats engaged, with full complements of men, just as we were in the most intricate part of the passage a light breeze sprang up in our teeth, baffling our endeavours, and compelling us to return to our anchorage. February 15th. Another dead calm ; and at day- light we had our anchor up, and the boats again x 3 310 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. towing us. From the length and intricacy of the passage, our natives got worn out with fatigue before we had secured a proper offing ; and as the vessel's crew was not sufficient in number to man a boat, we had the satisfaction of witnessing the vessel helplessly drift towards a pile of perpendicular rocks. Nearer and nearer she approached. Every soul in the vessel but the man at the wheel left her to double bank the oars ; but vain were our exertions, we were within twice her length of the dark frowning mass above us. No human aid could save us. In the moment of despair the. captain uttered a joyous shout : a light breeze aloft filled the royal, and gave us headway of about half a knot. Towards evening a gentle breeze placed us out of danger. It is impossible to tow out of the harbour when there is any wind against you ; and when there is no wind at all, the danger of drifting ashore is so great that I would never think of risking the expe- riment again. February 16th. Early this morning we were close to Bass's Rocks, or the Four Crowns. On being close to them you see but three distinct rocks, but when they bore south-south-west of us, and distant about nine miles, they assumed the appearance of four isolated rocky points, which may have obtained for them the latter name. They lie forty miles east by north from Rapa, and are discernible from the mountains in a clear day. They are called by the natives Maretiri. March 2nd. From the time of our leaving Rapa till this day we have had nothing but a succession ANCHOR AT AKEMA. 311 of calms and light winds from northward easterly. The assurances from those who had long sailed in these seas were positive that we should find the winds strong from the south-east ; but saving the ten days we were tantalised by them during our stay in the harbour of Rapa, we have had no winds with southing in them since quitting Tahiti. This makes the fifteenth day that we have been humbugging to Gambier's Islands. We sighted them on February 28th; but, with our usual luck, the wind was directly from them, and we had a tedious beating match to gain an offing to the eastward, that on the other tack we might lay into the passage. At nine A. M. we crossed the reef, and at one P. M. dropped anchor a cable or two's length from Elson's Island, known to the natives as Akema. This is a well sheltered posi- tion for a vessel intending making a long stay, being protected from the north-west winds which blow at times with fearful violence, and you may anchor in eight or nine fathoms water. My original intention on leaving Tahiti was to have gone with my divers to an island called by us Lord Hood's Island, by the natives Maretea : here, I intended to have landed with my men and food, and to have sent the ship for shelter to Gambier's Islands, as there is no harbour or anchorage at Maretea, but the time lost from the adverse winds we encountered, with the assurances of the divers, that it would be expense thrown away in stopping at Maretea, the shell at that island being thin and brittle, and the difficulty of getting it off to the ship after it had been collected very great, induced me to alter my intention. I was furnished x 4 312 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. with credentials to the French priests living on Gambier's Islands ; and though I had my doubts, still I conceived it possible to procure a cargo there. I was met with friendliness by the " Holy Father" to whom I presented myself; and far from opposing any obstacle to my employing my divers, he advised me where to locate the men, and wished me a prosperous voyage. Unfortunately, as I was about to land them in the evening, agreeably to the instructions of the superior, another priest came running down at the head of a disorderly mob, waving a stick in his hand, ordering my people not to land, but to go back to the ship. A war of words ensued; and noticing from the vessel that a disturbance was up, I hastened to prevent mischief. I was only just in time, as I had to leap into the sea to arrest a conflict ; and I imme- diately sent my people on board again. I did not admire the indecorous heat of this French priest, par- ticularly as he was one of the two priests expelled from Tahiti by queen Pomare, and for which expulsion she had been made to pay so dear. The Rapa people were burning with indignation at thus being scurvily driven from a resting-place, and were loud in their entreaties for me to lead them on to a general fight. Early the next morning I again hastened to the superior, having previously sent my men away to dive. The superior expressed his regret at any misun- derstanding having arisen, and sent another priest with me to arrange matters. The spot he assigned my divers was not such as I desired ; but he submitted that it was away from the Mareva natives, which would prevent any quarrelling or contention between CONDUCT OF FRENCH PKIESTS. 313 the two parties. I had many of the Mareva natives to visit me in the course of the day, and all brought with them some article or other for sale. Whether it was a concerted plan or not I do not know, but one and all asked such an absurd price for what they had to dispose of as entirely put it out of my power to make a single purchase. For a pearl that in England or France would be estimated at the value of six shillings or ten francs at the outside, they asked me eighty fathoms of print. Vegetables or refresh- ments of any kind the priests declared they had none to dispose of, and expressed their anxiety to obtain any spare food I might have laid in for my own people. And when our boats went diving, from twenty to thirty canoes, with Mareva natives, com- menced opposition, diving all round the vessel and in the track of our people : in short, the whole of the proceedings were such as so thoroughly to disgust the Rapa men, that they requested me to leave and go to Hao or Bow Island ; and as my stock of food was not abundant enough for a long stay, and knowing that where the heart was absent from the duty little good could be expected, I deemed it advisable to comply with their reiterated request. On giving notice of this to the priests, they expressed surprise and regret at my determination ; but at the same time seemed anxious to confirm me in it, by renewing the assurances of the utter impossibility of my procuring fresh supplies in case I became straitened for food, as they said that "about two years ago a great wind came, and blew down most of the bread fruit and cocoa-nut trees." 314 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. The three priests have acquired such complete ascendancy over the minds of the simple natives, that they dare not act contrary to their wishes ; and any attempt of mine to elicit a free answer from any of them, on any subject, was always met with a most confused expression of countenance, and with "I don't understand." The men appeared sensible of their enthralment, and ashamed of it ; but having no idea how to free themselves from it, they submit helplessly to the yoke. That the priests do not avail themselves of the labours of the natives to enrich their society I would not believe, for the poor fellows are continually diving throughout the year, and yet rarely possess any thing of value to offer for sale. It is reported, that when any pearl of value is found it is taken to the king. I cannot contradict the rumour, but from the abject appearance of his majesty, I should rather conclude that it went to the king's ghostly adviser ; the monarch apparently possessing as much authority as a " footless stocking without a leer," to use the Irishman's definition of nothing. The D' O natives are taught regularly to attend the confes- sional, where every action of their lives transpires, and I can form an idea as to the manner in which pearls of value are appropriated : but surely the soul's welfare is of far greater consideration than many pearls. I was so annoyed at not being able to obtain a direct answer from any of the natives, that I taxed them with being dumb, and asked them if they had only got three men upon the islands that could speak. They shrugged their shoulders and replied, " I don't know." The women, ENTHRALMENT OF MAKEVA NATIVES. 315 as usual, on the approach of any of us were hidden from sight. On my first landing, not being expected, some laughing young damsels stole out, evidently bent upon a romp ; but when they espied the portly paunch of the superior coming bustling up, they retreated like rabbits to their burrows. I was de- sirous of visiting the convent ; but, as I before noticed, it is situated a considerable way up Mount Duff; and, from the system of espionage that is maintained all over the islands, no one could approach it without the priests having immediate intimation of the same. I was informed that the girls are not detained in the convent longer than they are pleased voluntarily to remain, but why the priests wish to keep them there at all is a mystery requiring explanation. March 5th. We purchased our anchor with difficulty this morning, from the chains having got foul of the rocks. At four P. M. we were free of the reefs that surrounded the islands ; and at seven P. M., when about twenty miles from the land, Mount Duff bearing east by south, w T e observed a beautiful pheno- menon in the west-south-west point of the heavens. I noticed it the night previously, as we lay at anchor opposite Elson's Island ; but it being at the time partially obscured by dark rolling clouds, and be- coming wholly so as I gazed, I paid no more atten- tion to it ; but this evening, the heavens being clear, it had the appearance of a brilliant comet, with a blazing tail of great length shooting high up into the vault of heaven. Its nucleus was about thirteen degrees in altitude when I was called on deck to observe it, and at a quarter to eight P. M. it had 316 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. dipped below the horizon ; but for a long time after its tail continued to illumine the firmament. No mention is made of any comet in the nautical ephe- meris, and its aspect was quite startling. The natives were surprised at its appearance, some imagining it to be a rainbow ; but on being made sensible of their error, confessed they had never seen any thing like it before. The weather is close and sultry, and it has been particularly so at night for the last four or five nights. March 6th. Sighted Lord Hood's Island, or Maratea. It is very low, and of a most treacherous anguis-in-herba-\\k.Q appearance. At half-past six P.M., the comet, or whatever it is, became again visible ; I watched it till it began to decline in altitude, which it did after reaching 12 20' by the sextant. As the night grew darker, its tail emitted a luminous flood of light ; it was as if myriads of the moon's pale rays had been concentrated in one bright stream. At eight P.M. it had set below the horizon. March 9th. At three P.M. Les four Facardines was discernible from the mast-head, The atmosphere being particularly clear, we judged we were about eighteen miles from it. The natives were desirous that I should land, asserting that there was abun- dance of shell in the lagoon of the island, and that it was uninhabited, which is rather a singular thing, there being cocoa-nut trees upon it. Some of the Rapa men say they were in a vessel that for a long time tried in vain to make this island, and at length, gave up the attempt ; they say the native name for ANCHOR AT HAO ISLAND. 317 it is Hereheretue.* There is a boat passage, but no entrance to the lagoon for shipping. The comet (assuming it to be such) is increasing in altitude : at this present writing, eight P.M., it seems like a rod of light suspended above the earth, warning weak man of his nothingness. March 10th. Far away astern of us, Thrum Cap Island was just discernible as day dawned this morn- ing. It bears nearly east-north-east, and about twenty miles from Les four Facardines. Both these islands are laid down six miles too far to the south- ward. The natives knew nothing of Thrum Cap. It appeared a small round clump when we saw it, something resembling a cap. None of the heavenly bodies visible to night, from the cloudiness of the atmosphere. March 1 \th. TTe were all this day beating about Hao Island and Amann, the wind heading us on every tack, just as it did on our making Rapa ; and positively, as night drew in upon us, we did not appear to have worked a mile to windward. March 12th. After close beating all night, and many short boards, this morning, at half-past eleven A. M., we again entered with safety the lagoon of Hao Island ; and at three P. M. dropped anchor at our old station. The comet was very brilliant this night, and has considerably increased its altitude. March 2lst. The Rapa divers up to this date had scarcely done any thing but consume food ; and on niy reproaching them with incapacity, they per- * See Vol. n. p. 52. 318 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. sisted that there was no shell in the lagoon. Upon this I engaged some of the Hao natives, who quickly disproved the statement by bringing in their one boat as many shell as the Rapa men in three boats, and in much less time. I therefore took another boat from the Rapa men and gave it to the men of Hao ; and the result was, that the latter used daily to return with more than double the quantity of shell procured by the former, who were compelled to confess they were ashamed of themselves. I had some difficulty in settling with the Hao men, as, on witnessing the in- competency of the others, they wanted to be off their bargain, and insinuated that they ought to have higher payment; but as I had paid them beforehand, I insisted upon their fulfilling their agreement. They continued diving for the time stipulated; but their heap of shell being so much bigger than that of the Rapa divers, they coolly told me that, unless I would give them extra pay, they would only deliver to me one half the shell. That evening I convened a meeting, and, in the presence of their king, complained of the bad faith of the Hao divers ; "and now listen," I con- tinued : " as soon as we are ready to receive the shell on board, I shall take it without consulting you ; and the consequences be upon the heads of any of you that will dare to oppose me. I gave the pay- ment you asked for; and now, because the Rapa men are a useless idle set, you think to impose upon me ; but I am not a child, and it will be at the peril of your lives if you seek to detain from me the property obtained through my own boats, by you, whom I have both fed and paid." Seeing that I was EAPA MEN AS DIVERS. 319 in no humour to be played with, the king called out to "let the talk cease, for they had nothing more to say." April 6tk. This evening the comet was no longer visible. It had been gradually growing fainter and fainter as it increased its ascent in the vast vacuity above us, till at length, although the heavens were particularly clear and favourable for observation, not the dimmest ray could be discerned by the naked eye. The Rapa divers still continue bad as ever. A deputation of Hao natives waited upon me, volunteer- ing to fill the vessel if I would send the Rapa men away. I reproached them with their former want of good faith, and would have nothing to say to them. April I2t7i. We have been just a month diving, and the shell collected does not exceed eight tons, nor that of the best description. The Rapa natives had been represented to me, by every one who had had any thing to do with diving, as the best divers in these seas; and it was the high encomiums passed upon them, together with earnest advice from old pearling voyagers, that induced me to throw away so much time and persevere in going to Rapa. Too late I found out my error. They are not to compare with the Paumutu men ; and, although coming from a far colder climate, they used to complain of the cold much more than the natives of the island did ; and altogether they are a feebler race. From the diffi- culties they started when I wished to engage them, the high price they stood out for, and the depre- ciatory and slighting tone with which they spoke 320 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of the Chain Islanders as divers, I was led to expect great things from them ; but I have been miserably disappointed. The Hao natives again came to me, and entreated me to let them fill the vessel, and they would leave it with me to reward them after the work was finished. To prevent mis- take or misunderstanding, I assembled them before their king, and caused them to renew their offers. The king sanctioned their proceedings, and I agreed to send the Rapa men away. This evening I in- formed the latter of my determination, and reproached them rather bitterly for their impudent pretensions, as, after all their boasting, they had not been able to collect as many shell as would pay for their food. They admitted they had deceived themselves, and were willing to abide by any decision I might come to. April 13th. Sent away the Hao men with the boats, and paid off the Rapa people, each man according to his merits. They appeared content with what I gave, as I imagine they did not expect any thing. April I4tk. At eleven A.M. the vessel got under weigh, with a fine fresh breeze, to convey my Rapa blackguards home ; leaving me the only white man on the island, a sort of Robinson Crusoe, surrounded by tractable savages. I instructed the captain to procure a fresh supply of tioo, as it was my de- termination to stay at Hao, and, if possible, fill the vesseL A few nights ago I was called up to see one of the Hao divers, who had been suddenly seized with SICKNESS AND DEATH OF A NATIVE. 321 sickness. I found him in great pain, with his stomach swollen and very hard. Thinking that he might have eaten something that had poisoned him, I ad- ministered a grain and a half of tartar-emetic in half a tumbler of water. Producing no effect, in a quarter of an hour I repeated the dose ; and it still not operating, and his pain continuing, I gave him a dose of calomel and opium. The poor fellow shook his head as he took it, and told me it was of no use, for he would soon be dead. I tried to laugh the notion away, and ridiculed the fears of his friends ; but the swelling continued to increase, till his belly and chest were expanded as tight as a drum : it Avas one of the most distressing sights I ever witnessed. Finding I could do him no good, I suffered the natives to adopt their own remedies ; but by this time his jaws had become collapsed and firmly set ; and exactly at turn of tide, as the natives predicted would be the case, the poor fellow expired : death having ensued within ten hours from the time of his attack. It appeared that his friends never enter- tained the hope of saving him, unless from any superhuman skill that might be in my hands. They told me that the Tupapan of his uncle, recently dead, had come for him ; that it had got inside him, which caused him to swell so ; and although they were desirous of trying every remedy I could suggest, they felt there was no chance of his living. They related many queer things of the Tupapan, and have many singular superstitions with respect to the dead, and many strange observances. They tried to make me understand them; but my un- VOL. I. Y 322 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. acquaintance with the language prevents my re- cording much that might have proved curious and interesting. Throughout the night following the death of this native, his parents and relatives kept up an uninter- mitted lamentation. The grief of the mother Avas frantic. Sometimes the mourners would be locked in each other's embraces over the corpse ; and some- times they would stretch themselves upon the enshrouded body, shedding tears, and chanting a most mournful dirge. The mother's feelings occa- sionally became so acute, that, clasping her hands above her head, she would dash herself to the earth. I went to witness the closing scene, which took place next morning. The ceremony was a compound of the old heathen practices and an attempt at our mode of burial. The pagan rites were gone through first. The same prostration of grief took place by the side of the grave, and the same mournful chanting ; whilst the mother and another female went through the most extra- ordinary gestures, making at the same time such diabolical grimaces as baffle description. This was defying the evil spirit. But the grief of the mother was too agonising to allow of her carrying on this pantomime, as she would break off in the middle of her acting to give vent to bursts of anguish. The other female, with the most imper- turbable gravity, kept time with her hands, feet, and body, to the awful distortions of her countenance. This part done, one of the natives, who had been to Tahiti, and was in possession of a primer, held it VISIBLE TOKENS FROM THE TUPAPAN. 323 inverted, showing his great knowledge of the use of it, and made, as if he read from it, a short prayer. The body was then consigned to its original dust. April 19th. This night, at about eight o'clock, I was attacked with a violent pain in the bowels, which increased to such an unbearable degree as to cause me to vomit greatly. The natives were much alarmed, and the king particularly so, as it was supposed that the Tupapan had got hold of me, for the incredulity I had always evinced with respect to its asserted powers. The king feared that I should die, and that he would be held accountable for my death. Not having any medicine by me, and having been an eye- witness of the rapid mortality of the diseases of the place, I felt an unpleasant sensation creep over me, as I was quite incapable of writing, so that I could leave no inventory of my effects as a check against peculations; and I much feared the abduction of some valuable pearls, for which we had paid, in cash and promissory notes, 1000Z. sterling. All night I suffered severely, tossing about in restless pain ; but at six A. M. it began to subside, and I gradually grew better. Then was my turn to laugh at the Tupapan ; but the native faith in it was not to be shaken by any thing I could say or do. April 2\ st. Apropos of the Tupapan, just as I had turned in for the night, I was roused by an unusual cry of consternation, and found all the natives assembled round the king's house. They were in much alarm, for an assault had been made upon it by the Tupapan, which they stated had pelted it with stones ; and one man affirmed that he saw it in 324 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the likeness of three men without legs. To satisfy them of the absurdity of their notions, I went as I was to their burial-place, and, followed by a few of the more resolute, led the way to the most secluded spots. Every thing Avas in the quiet repose of a still night, and not the slightest object presented itself to feed the excited fancy ; but the natives attributed it to the fearlessness and want of belief of the white man. No other disturbance ensued during the night ; but in the morning, I found that one fellow had availed himself of the general confusion to steal the tioo ; and there is not a doubt that the whole uproar was a shrewd contrivance of the thiePs to cover his designs. The rogue had made off in his canoe before I had discovered the theft ; and when I ex- plained my belief to the rest, they laughed heartily at the suggestion, but pertinaciously clave to their ridiculous credulity in the powers of the Tupapan. April 25th. A canoe arrived from Amann, the low island a few miles to the northward of Hao. The natives of Amann, unlike those of Rapa and Hao, had been particularly observant of the comet, which they called poruma (night fire). Their visit to Hao was principally occasioned by their dread of the comet, as they have a notion that it will destroy their island. Much speechifying took place, by way of greeting and condolence ; and by what I could understand, they seemed to intimate that the sea had made terrible encroaches upon their scanty allotment of earth, and they feared that it would shortly he submerged. The Hao Islanders sympa- thised with them, and, pointing to their own miserable PERFIDY OF A SANDWICH ISLANDER. 325 patches, told them that, such as they were, they were willing to share them if they were reduced to the extremity of flying from Amann. April 28th. Had to cause my chancellor to resign his keys of office, on discovering this day that he had been carrying on a systematic series of plunder. He is a native of the Sandwich Isles, that I brought with me from Rapa. From his childhood he has been sailing about in whale ships, though under- standing but a few words of English. At the close of voyages he has been set ashore at different islands, and in this way I came to pick him up at Rapa. The Rapa people had treated him with great hospitality and kindness; and, in return, the dog practised towards them great ingratitude, bringing me all sorts of evil reports against them, and continually warning me to be on my guard as to their honesty. This he did, I expect, to divert suspicion from himself. On my sending the Rapa people back again, fearful of the consequences of his behaviour, he would not return with them, but requested permission to remain with me so long as I staid upon the island, or perhaps I could carry him on to the Main ; if not, he would take his chance with the Hao natives. At first I took him to be an eccentric original, but thought him decidedly honest; I treated him kindly, and promised him fair usage if he behaved well. Unfortunately, my kindness tempted him to take liberties, and I detected him in several petty delinquencies. At last I threatened to discharge him without further remuneration if I caught him at any more tricks; and in the event that such Y 3 326 ROVING S IN THE PACIFIC. might prove the case, like many another minister, he set about providing for the time of need. My pro- visions went off in a galloping consumption, and I missed many things that I could afterwards gain no tidings of. I considered myself well supplied in every thing I required for a month ; but after the first eight days, the flour, sugar, tea. jread, and ' ,er, were all expended, although I was careful in seeing that only sufficient for the day was taken out at a time. I was greatly amazed ; but still my suspicions were not drawn towards him, as, on mentioning my doubts of foul practices, he artfully contrived to make me understand that the Hao natives were not to be trusted, only it did not do for him to say so too openly ; and he hinted that it would be as well if I did not allow so many of them to come into and about the house. Still, every day I was sensible of the loss of something or another ; and out of a tierce of beef I opened at noon for the divers, only one half was left the next morning. Probably even then I should not have discovered the thief, but, fortunately for me this morning he was taken unwell, and was compelled to lie down, and then the " murder came out;" he had been in the habit of supplying the women about the place with any thing they chose to ask for. I used to wonder at the airs of superi- ority he assumed over the Hao natives, and the quietnesss with which the latter submitted to be bullied by him. The audacious varlet had had the impudence to tell them that he was my partner, and that it was principally through his influence that the Hapa men were sent away, and his gifts were looked FISHING EXCURSIONS. 327 upon as confirmatory proof of his assertions. Out of four dozen ale, I only saw nineteen bottles, including six broken_ones. Other things had been abstracted in similar proportion. On reproaching him with his conduct, he was so overwhelmed that he offered not a word in his defence ; although on ordinary occasions he assumed such a look of blank igno- rance, and replied to accusations with babble so foreign to the subject, that I used to imagine it impossible that such a half-witted ass could rob me. The fellow's head is shaped like that of a wild boar; and nature has bestowed upon him an idiotic cast of countenance, which he cunningly contrives at pleasure to render still more vacant, as a mask to conceal his knavery. May 1st. Xo diving for the last three days. It has been blowing hard from the southward, creating too heavy a sea. The divers started this morning, and I accompanied a party of natives on a fishing excursion. We went to the outside reef, some with sticks, and others with hand-nets, ten or twelve feet long by six feet deep, the centre of the net running out into a bag. As the heavy sea of the ocean broke upon the reef, large fish would at times be carried out in the swell of the spent breakers ; and as the fish endeavoured with the receding of the waters to regain the sea, it was the duty of those with sticks to beat the water, shout, and do all they could to frighten the fish into the nets of their com- panions. In this way several fine fish were taken ; but the sport not being so abundant as the natives wished, we crossed over to the lagoon and now com- y 4 328 BOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. menced another system. From long practice, the natives can distinguish the slightest change in the appearance of the water; and a shade which I could not perceive, though repeatedly pointed out to me, they at once knew to be a shoal of fish. "With sticks in their hands, they jumped into the water on either side the shoal, and struck out to encompass it. Having formed a semicircle, they began to lessen their distance one from the other, hallooing, splash- ing, and driving the fish towards the land. In vain did the frightened natives of the deep dash here and there, they were met at all points. In vain do they attempt their escape by dai'ting deeper into their element, their expert foes dive at their approach and frighten them back again ; till, almost driven on the land, closely surrounded by their scaring invaders, one only chance seems open for them, they clash at it, and are instantly secured in the wily net. I staid to witness their success in four conse- cutive attempts, and at each haul they caught from 300 to 400. May 5th. No sign of the vessel; and in conse- quence of all my food being expended, and there being but a day or two's supply of tioo, the divers came to me last night to express their regret at seeing me without the food I was accustomed to ; and as the island would produce nothing that would serve as a substitute for bread or vegetables, they urged me to appropriate the remainder of the tioo for my own use, as it was uncertain when the vessel might make her appearance. It was considerate of them ; nor did I deem it prudent to neglect their advice. Hence I A FUGITIVE FROM FAEATAE. 329 secured the tioo in a barrel and hauled the boats up under shelter of the trees, as it is impossible for the men to go diving and procure their own food. They rarely have food in store ; and when, as it sometimes happens, the weather is too stormy for days together to admit of their venturing out in their frail canoes, they endeavour by sleep to dissipate their sensations of hunger. Fish is their staple diet, and a most gigantic load can they stow away. May 6th. The divers have dispersed to various parts of the island, that they may be able to procure food for themselves and families. A canoe came from the mouth of the harbour to-day, and in it was a young man, of whom the natives furnished a somewhat strange account. They say he came to their island about two years ago in a small canoe, only sufficiently large to contain one man ; 'that he spoke a dialect different from theirs, and remained some months with them before he could make him- self understood ; and then he told them he had fled from his own island in a state of terror from a mur- derous descent made upon it by several canoes full of armed people, who, at the time of his escape, were butchering his countrymen wholesale. He was two days upon the sea, without food or water, when he made the south-eastern extremity of Hao, which leads me to infer that he comes from an island south-east from Hao, as his cockle-shell of a canoe could never have gone head to wind. I questioned him, but he had not the slightest idea as to the direction of his island ; his panic, probably, de- prived him of all power of observation. He stated he 330 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. belonged to Faeatae, one of a group of eight islands ; the names of the others being as follow : Pinaki, Uoapuni, Uairatea, Morn, Nukutivaki, Uoakiaki, and Reau. At some of the islands he said there were cocoa-nut trees and tarro; they were all lagoon islands, and at Uairatea there was plenty of mother-of-pearl shell. I suspect that some of t 1 e islands to the southward and eastward of Hao, and looked upon by us as uninhabited, form the group he alludes to. Even now the young man has difficulty in making himself understood ; and the Hao natives, in con- versing with him, always speak more slowly and deliberately than when talking to each other. May \\th. Quite worn out with disappointed ex- pectation, this morning, at daybreak, I was preparing to accompany some of the natives to the island of Amann. I had got my traps into the boat, and we were on the point of shoving off, when the welcome shout of " Ti pahi, ti pahi ! " (The ship, the ship !) greeted my ears. I hurried across the reef, and had the satisfaction of seeing her almost abreast of us. We were twenty miles up the lagoon ; so, without staying to shift anything, we loosed the boat's sail and started for the entrance of the harbour. We reached the passage first ; and finding the current setting out with great force, and a heavy, short, broken sea on, I stood out to warn them to keep the vessel off till the next day. All was well on board. Bad weather off Rapa had been the detain- ing cause; they had encountered a gale, which for ten days kept them on and off the island, without permitting them to lower a boat. In re- AEEIVAL OF THE SHIP. 331 turning, the captain fell in with two islands not no- ticed on the chart ; and as our chronometer is an excellent instrument, and the captain an efficient navigator, I have no doubt the positions he has as- signed them are sufficiently accurate for the purposes of navigation. The one was in latitude 18 46' S., longitude 141 48' AA~. ; and the other in latitude 19 34' S., longitude 140 30' AY. : both were low lagoon islands, and uninhabited. According to the captain's statement, a reef extended for several miles off the south end of the island first alluded to. Stunted herbage was all that could be seen growing upon either of them. Santelmo, on the chart a considerable lagoon island, purporting to have been discovered in 1606, has no existence where it is laid down, viz. in 21 22' S., and 142 AV. ; and Bligh's lagoon island, delineated small and circular, in lati- tude 21 42' S., and longitude 140 30, AA~., is both further to the northward and westward, and, from the captain's observations, corresponds nearly in form and size with that called Santelmo. It is probable that they are one and the same island. The captain also ran close past the position assigned to Gloucester Island. Xo such island was visible, although it is stated on the chart to be inhabited. May \'2th. About half an hour after the sun had attained its meridian altitude, we ran into the lagoon with as much facility as if we were sailing into any ordinary harbour, and dropped anchor for the night about' eight or nine miles up the lagoon. May 13th. All this day engaged in beating to where the natives wanted us to take up our station. 332 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. It was considerably higher up than ever any vessel had ventured before, and I had reason to repent my temerity in proceeding thither. Countless coral knolls were in our way, and every moment it was "hard up" or "hard down;" and further progress was terminated by our striking on a sunken reef and carrying away part of our forefoot and false keel. We could not see the reef till we were upon it. Fortunately we sustained no material damage ; and taking the encounter as a hint to bring to for the night, we let go the anchor in eight fathoms water about a cable's length from the shore. May \4ith. Being Sunday, we merely dropped the vessel into a clear berth, and moored her opposite a grove of cocoa-nut trees, about eight miles from the south extreme of the lagoon. May \Qth. Yesterday the natives were employed in erecting their huts ; and this morning, it being fine weather, and there being nothing to interfere with their diving, I was surprised at seeing the boats lying on the beach, and went on shore to inquire the cause. After some hesitation, it came out that they had re- solved not to continue diving unless I would advance payment. This being in direct violation of their agreement, and having experienced the mischief of paying beforehand, I told them in plain terms that I would not consent to their demands. I up- braided them with their treacherous conduct, and assured them that if they fancied they had got me in their power, they should find themselves mistaken ; for, if they refused to dive, I would not touch a shell they had collected, but would at once leave their FEENCH BRIG. 333 island, and would return again with sufficient force to exact redress. I gave them the time I should be engaged at breakfast to think upon my words, resolved to carry my threat into effect, if, at its expiration, they obstinately persisted in their conduct. I had scarcely got on board when, happening to look seaward, I discovered a large vessel not far off, run- ning along the land to the southward. We im- mediately hoisted the British flag, and shortly after some natives came alongside to tell us that a boat was approaching the shore. We went to meet her, and I induced the natives to swim with her through the surf and land her safely on the reef. The vessel proved the Jules de Blosville, a French brig of 300 tons. I invited the second mate, who had charge of the boat, and his crew on board to breakfast. One of his crew was an Englishman, the only one belong- ing to the brig. Through him we understood that the captain had a general cargo for sale ; and after we had finished our repast, I had a boat launched over the reef, and went to see if I could make a few pur- chases. Our boat gained somewhat upon the French- man's, and, as we neared the vessel, I was surprised that no symptoms appeared of heaving her to ; and we narrowly escaped being run down. Not a soul could we see ; but as she glided past us, striking our gunwale, a port was raised, and a gun run out and depressed towards us. I laughingly pointed it out to the captain of our vessel (the only white man with me) as a friendly way of receiving visitors. Not having seen the manoeuvre, he wanted to persuade me that the port was raised for the purpose of hand- 334 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. ing us a rope; but not a rope did they hand us, and we were half a mile astern before they condescended to back their headyards, and allow us to pull along- side. On gaining the quarterdeck, no one came to receive us; and not a man was visible but the helmsman. Whilst joking at this extraordinary behaviour, the captain showed himself. He offered no apology ; but addressing us in English, with much coarse freedom he invited us into his cabin. He pro- duced some brandy, and called for a bottle of cham- pagne, which he said he would broach to friendship. On trying to do business with him, he urged me to buy such things as I had no earthly use for; but the goods I stood in need of he would not sell me, saving one or two trifling articles, which he requested the mate to put on one side for me. But he did not do this, even, until I had produced a handful of gold, to satisfy a question put to me through the mate, as to what means I had of pay- ment. The captain understood English pretty well, and the mate spoke it fluently. They were bound to the Main; and having expressed a wish to write to Valparaiso, the captain hastened to oblige me with pen, ink, and paper. Whilst engaged writing, the captain of our schooner looked in to say that we were nearly out of sight of the island. I begged he would request them to " go about," and continued writing, when, all of a sudden, the cry of "Armez vous! armez vous ! tout de suite, tout de suite!" caused me to run out to see what was the matter. The deck was covered with men, some armed with muskets and fowling-pieces, whilst others were run- CONDUCT OF THE FRENCH CAPTAIN. 335 ning to procure arms. The French captain was raving and gesticulating like a lunatic ; our captain was remonstrating in broken French ; and the poor naked natives whom we had with us had taken to the boats, with the exception of two, whose concern in my behalf had kept them clinging to the rail to watch the result. Unable to comprehend the meaning of all this gasconade, I put my hand on the Frenchman's shoulder, and inquired, " What the devil's up?" My captain, who was as strong as Hercules, with much agitation begged me to do nothing that might make matters worse. The other comprehended him, and it emboldened him to seize me pretty roughly by the waist. I shook him free, and he rushed aft. I fol- lowed ; and he, seizing a cutlass lying by the wheel, drew it and made a pass at me. By an agile movement of the body, I escaped being run through, the sword going between my arm and side. Sneer- ing at the ruffian, I entered his cabin, tore up the letter on which I had been engaged, and threw the fragments in his face. The treacherous rascal did not repeat his thrust, as I could have combed his head with one of the cabin stools ; but he hastened forward and filled upon his ship, putting her head before the wind, and in a few minutes our boat would have been dragged under, as it was only secured by a short painter to one of the chain-plates. In vain I inquired the meaning of such treatment ; the mate did nothing but implore me to leave the vessel; and at last, there being no other remedy, I went over the side to enjoy the luxury of nearly a twenty miles pull beneath a burning tropical sun. The 336 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. cause of the fellow's playing us such a trick I am utterly at a loss to conceive; but this I know, I shall consider twice ere I trust myself on board a Frenchman again. As soon as the natives on shore learnt how I had been served, they came flocking on board to sympathise with me, and the next morning all went diving with hearty good will. May 18th. I have witnessed the blighting effects of grief in many ; but never in the course of my experience did I behold so mournful a proof of its devastating nature as was exhibited in the person of the mother of the diver who was carried off so suddenly, as above related. When she was attend- ing on her dying son she was a fleshy robust woman. I mentioned how ill her grief qualified her to take part in the pagan ceremonies of inter- ment ; and for some days after the melancholy event the bereaved parents absented themselves from their tribe, and lived in a hut temporarily erected only a few paces distant from the grave of their child. They freed the spot from weeds and rubbish, and raised monumental slabs of coral at the head and feet of the prematurely dead, and on these slabs they suspended offerings of -food and water to the departed spirit. The mother gathered the vine of a creeper growing near her son's last resting-place, and twist- ing it into a wreath, wore it round her neck ; and to- day, when I met her, the wreath had not shrunk and withered more than she had done. Her eyes had sunken, her raven hair had changed to grey, and her flesh hung in folds upon her body ; tears were con- tinually streaming down her cheeks, she would not REMARKS ON PEARLS. 337 be comforted, and refused to partake of more food than was barely necessary to support life ; and I have little doubt that a few weeks will suffice to unite her spirit with her son's. Never did I behold such hopeless misery depicted in the face of a human being. Her image haunts me to this hour ; and talk of the sombre garb with which Europeans are in the habit of clothing their woe, nothing can be compared with the intensity of feeling outwardly dis- played by that withered and still withering wreath, resting on that shrivelled and still shrivelling bosom. May 27th. Ceased diving; the weather had be- come cold and windy, and the divers making daily complaint of the scarcity of shell, and the great depth of water in which they had to dive for it, I took compassion on them, and told them they might leave off, although the vessel would not be above two thirds full. I promised to pay them well for what they had done ; and the joyous shout with which the announce- ment was received convinces me that the poor fellows speak truly, when they say the shell is scarce and difficult to procure. I have got a few fine pearls amongst the lot collected, but the great bulk are seed pearl. It is the generally received opinion, that pearls are the result of disease in the oyster ; and I have read that the Chinese, conscious of this fact, are in the habit of stringing on impalpable hairs minute seed pearl, which they introduce into the opening shells when the fish are feeding, and in the course of time they provoke the disorder, and become entirely coated with the pearly encrustation. Others again VOL. i. z 338 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. say that this opinion is erroneous ; but when an enemy attacks the fish, it sheds drops in its defence, which become pearls. I am no ichthyologist to decide the question, and will merely record the result of my observations. Out of more than a hundred tons of the mother-of-pearl oyster opened in my presence, every shell containing pearl was more or less diseased, the backs having a wormeaten appearance ; and I do not remember a pearl being found in a sound and healthy-looking shell. The more aged and worm- eaten they appear, the greater is the probability of finding pearl. I noticed that almost every healthy- looking bivalve enclosed within its shells one or two parasitical fish, of a transparent light red colour, re- sembling a small shrimp in form, with long feelers ; and the natives assured me that these parasites ejected from the shells the pearls as soon as formed. They are slimy and inert in body, being more of the substance of jelly than shells, but are continually working their feelers with a pushing and retractile motion. June 3rd. All the shell on board. Paid the divers, much to their satisfaction, and made a start. Towards evening it fell calm, and we dropped anchor about a cable's length from the shore, in eleven fathoms water, opposite a grove of cocoa-nut trees, about eight miles from the entrance to the harbour. A sheet of copper nailed on one of the trees informed us, that it was here that Captain Belcher, of H. M. S. Sulphur, "bored this island forty-five feet, when the auger broke. Tube S. 65 W. 40 feet. March 26th 1840." The cocoa-nut trees planted by him THE "DOCTOR" LOSES HIS SAUCEPAN. 339 had not flourished, and the little pier he had con- structed had gone to ruin. June 4th. Calm continued. The water was clear as crystal, and from its unruffled state we could see distinctly to the bottom. Our cook dropped his saucepan over-board ; and, as it was the only service- able one we had, it greatly concerned us to recover it. I proposed lowering the "doctor" after it, with the deep-sea lead made fast to his heels, to accelerate his sinking. You should have seen the startled look of horror that flashed from his one eye when I made the suggestion ; " For you know doctor, " said I, " it was through your carelessness, that it has gone to the bottom ; and as we must recover it, you can't expect any one to go down for you." The " doctor," who fancied I was in earnest, vehemently protested against making any such experiment, as he swore he would be drowned before he got half way to the bottom. I amused myself with his deprecatory eloquence for some time, then, appearing to be moved by his entreaties, I sent for a native and asked him to dive for it. We sounded with the lead-line, and found ten and a half fathoms. He appeared to think the depth was too great ; but on pressing him, he threw off his belt and went down with great ease, and brought it up without a symptom of distress. We could plainly discern all his movements, and he gave but three strokes to carry him the depth of sixty-three feet. June 5th. At half- past eight A.M. cleared the passage, with the intention of proceeding to Gambier's z 2 340 EOV1NGS IN THE PACIFIC. Islands, in the hope of being able to fill up either by freight or purchase. June 6th. Becalmed, and such a calm. Ocean, air, and sky, seemed blended in one ethereal element ; the heat was intense ; and the silence so profound that the dropping of a rope-yarn upon the deck jarred upon the tympanum. There was something solemn and mysterious in the way we thus floated in empty space, the only apparent material body. The men seemed impressed with awe, and talked together in whispers. Although the water was without the faintest ripple, an under current acted upon the vessel, and imperceptibly we gradually raised and approached Prince William Henry's Island, known to the natives as Paraoa or Arivi. It is a small lagoon island, uninhabited, thickly covered with low bushy herbage. As we neared the breakers, a counter cur- rent swept us round the lee-point, and we were safe. June 7th. The ominous stillness of yesterday is being accounted for. We are lying to, under a balanced reef mainsail. It is blowing hard from the east-south-east, and we are driving bodily to leeward. June 8th. The sun obscure, and the gale in- creasing in fury. We are kept in -dread lest we should drift on to the Duke of Gloucester's group, which are situated right in our tempest-driven way. June 9th. Worse and worse ; and a terrific sea on. By our calculations we shall be ashore at mid- night. To provide for the best, against such a casualty, I have sewn the pearls and other valuables in a belt round my waist, with written instructions to guide the survivors or survivor in case of my A FURIOUS GALE. 341 death : I have also prepared an account of particulars thus far, to enclose in a bottle at the last moment. We have come to the resolution, on seeing that we cannot escape the land, to drop the foresail, to aid the vessel over the breakers, as the only hope of saving our lives. The captain attempted to set the staysail, to head the vessel to the southward, but it was blown from the bolt-ropes like a puff of smoke. Three P. M. The atmosphere was thick and hazy, but in our great anxiety, the captain and I scrambled aloft, and to our extreme satisfaction, through the drizzling mist, we had the pleasure of seeing one of the islands bearing north by east from us. Our escape was most providential ; and when we announced it to the crew, they broke out in a spontaneous shout of joy. The island we saw was evidently higher than the general run of the Low Islands ; but we had no chance of making other observation, and were only too happy in having avoided the fate of a closer ac- quaintance. We must have drifted at the rate of two and a half knots from the commencement of the gale. June I2th. The gale, at length, begins to mode- rate ; and by an observation obtained to day, we find we are as far to the westward of Bow Island as the latter is to the westward of Gambier's Islands. June \5th. Sighted Rapa. At four p. M. we were abreast of the harbour, and the weather having lulled, I had a boat lowered to trade for pigs and vegetables. Before reaching the settlement it closed in dark and squally, with heavy rain ; and on sending the boat to rejoin the vessel, it had to put back, from the dense z 3 342 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. obscurity with which every thing was enveloped, and the danger it was in from the violence of the blasts that came rushing from the gorges. As there was only the captain and a boy on board who knew any thing about the working of the vessel, I passed the dark hours of the night in great anxiety, for fear of their being blown away. I had men stationed upon the hills, with lights, and at first symptoms of day- dawn I despatched the boat in search of them ; but it was not till afternoon that my anxiety was relieved respecting them. A great many of the Rapa natives had died during the absence of those that had accompanied me to Hao ; and the intelligent amongst them attributed the deaths to sickness, occasioned by exposure to wet and cold. It is nearly always raining at Rapa ; and many of the poor creatures, drenched to the skin all day, sleep on the damp ground in their miserable huts at night, with scarcely any covering. There has been great mortality amongst them of late, and they seem to entertain the most melancholy fore- bodings, hinting that in five years they believed there would not be one of them left alive upon the island. Those amongst them who cling to the superstitious belief of their fathers, asserted that the more recent deaths were the consequence of my visit ; that the Tupapan had come on the appear- ance of the vessel and committed the slaughter that ensued. They have an opinion that the Tupapan fears and protects the white man, but its presence is fatal to them. Their superstitions resemble those of the Paumutuans generally. GALE RENEWED. 343 June 17th. Having succeeded in getting off a good supply of pigs and vegetables, we bade farewell to Rapa ; but we did not escape without a parting benediction, for a sudden gust carried the boat's mast, sail, and mast-thwart completely out of the boat, nearly swamping us, and giving us the benefit of a tremendous pull. Scarcely on board, the wind came strong from the eastward, and we were obliged to forego all idea of visiting Gambier's Islands. June 29th. From the last entry until now we have been laying to, under a balance reefed storm- trysail ; and now the gale is so furious, we have been compelled to strike our main and fore-top- masts, and send down the yards on deck ; and scant as the sail that is set, it has been obliged to be patched till it is as thick as a board. Heavy seas are continually breaking over us, and one that broke over our foreyard dashed its foam to the maintop. All three of our boats got stove, and we lost nearly half our pigs. June 30th. The violence of the gale has passed, apparently ; but from the lowering aspect of all around, we dare not send up our masts again, nor dare we display more canvass than the foresail, and the storm-trysail with the reefs out. We obtained our latitude, and were favoured with good sights for our chronometer, which placed us in 150 38' W., a degree to the west of Tahiti ; and our latitude being 31 48' S., we are now about 600 miles further to leeward of Gambier's Islands than we were when we quitted Hao. The wind has scarcely varied a point, and it is still blowing nearly east by south. Our z 4 344 ROYJNGS IN THE PACIFIC. sails and rigging have sustained material damage, which we have not the means on board of remedying ; but I have obligations to meet in Valparaiso, and I must struggle against my fate. July 4th. The gale continues, and we are still drifting to the westward. Our latitude to-day was 35 55' S. The clouds are flying from the eastward, and there are no signs of any change in the wind. A large vessel passed within two miles to windward of us, apparently bound for the Society Isles. We made signals of distress ; but she appeared to know her own interests better than to take notice of a wreck, for such assuredly we must have seemed. By the build of the stranger we took her to be French. July 5th. Finding no change, though as high as 37 S., tacked and stood to the northward. July 6th. A large vessel was observed six or seven miles to windward of us, standing to the south- ward. In hopes of obtaining assistance, we again tacked and stood after him. We set our colours at our fore top-gallant-mast head and kept them there. After some little delay, the tricolor of France proudly unfurled itself from the mizen-peak, and shortly after the Frenchman bore down to us. Re- membering how I had been served by the master of the Jules de Blosville, I did not feel quite at my ease as his countryman came foaming towards us, and I feared lest I had provoked the notice of an enemy. He rounded to under our counter, and hailed in tolerable English. I explained our situation, and begged him, if he had a little spare rope and bread, to let us have it, and requested him to send a boat THE JULES CESAR. 345 on board. He replied, he had not a boat that would swim, so at all hazards I resolved to get out one of our own boats that had sustained the least damage. The vessel proved the Jules Cesar, last from Tahiti, and bound for Valparaiso. My reception was very different from that experienced on board the Jules de Blosville. The captain treated me with great kindness, gave me bread and other articles, and would not hear of remuneration ; inviting me to stay breakfast, and pass the day with him. As we could do no better than keep company, I agreed to do so. His was the same vessel we saw on the 4th, standing to the northward. He had been as far as 37 S., and seeing no appearance of change had gone about. They did not notice us till we were a long way astern, for having had nearly a new suit of sails blown away, all hands were in the poop cabin, sail- repairing. The captain expressed his determination of standing as far south as 50 if he met with no previous alteration in the weather ; and as he had sailed from Tahiti subsequent to our leaving Hao, we thought we could not do better than follow his example. On telling the captain how I had been served by the master of the Jules de Blosville, his indignation was greatly excited ; he declared he would insult the fellow wherever he met him, and assured me that if I reported his conduct to the French consul, or the commander of any French man-of-war, he would be suspended from his office. In France they have regulations and restrictions for the guidance of merchant-ships, which it would, perhaps, be as well if adopted in England. Xo 346 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. master of a vessel is allowed to be so unless he has served two years in the capacity of an officer on board a man-of-war, and unless he has been able to pass his examination in mathematics and practical seamanship ; and he holds his qualification by a letter patent from the crown or minister of marine, which, upon any glaring misconduct, can be cancelled ; but the usual punishment is suspension for two years. I passed an agreeable day on board the Jules Cesar, and we separated with mutual good wishes. The sea had become very boisterous, and in getting into our boat we were nearly swamped; the gunwale and upper streak being smashed in by collision with the vessels. August 12th. More than a month has passed since my last entry, and we are still far from our destination. I imagine few have encountered such awful weather as we have experienced for so length- ened a period, and have survived to mention it. On more than one occasion, for nights together, I have been in expectation that the next moment would prove our last. We have not a sail, and scarcely a rope trustworthy ; and our pumps are kept going every hour. We have had a fair wind twice during the last thirty-six days : on the first occasion, it lasted three days, and on the last, four. It is now blowing hard from the eastward again. A large vessel was seen on our weather bow at daylight this morning. At nine o'clock A.M. it bore down to us. Her appearance gave rise to many con- jectures : some thought it a man-of-war, from the squareness of her yards ; others thought it a whaler, BEAPPEABANCE OF THE JULES CESAR. 347 from her having boats on her quarters ; again she was. from her sheer, taken for a London trader : and whilst bets (the Englishman's resource) were in agitation as to what she could be, the tricolor of France again displayed itself to the breeze ; and in a short time we saw a boat making towards us from our old friend, the Jules Cesar. They had not recognised us ; and when their boat came alongside she was half full of water. The second officer, who had charge of the boat, mentioned the captain's astonishment and distraction at the terrible weather we had encountered, and stated that the men had been for a long time on a stinted allowance of bread, and for the last ten days had been without meat or sugar. I felt happy in having it in my power to reciprocate former kindness, as I had plenty of beef and pork and two casks of molasses ; but of bread and flour we were on short allowance ourselves. As it took some time to break out the stores, I went aboard the Jules Cesar, to relieve the monotony of our most miserable voyage. I met with the same friendly welcome, and we mutually condoled over each other's hard fortune, but at last came to the conclusion that all we had for it was to " grin and bear it." As I could not foresee the ter- mination of our voyage, and trembled for our water, captain Blay spared us two casks. We remained together the greater part of the day; but in con- sequence of our being so very light, we drifted con- siderably to leeward of the Jules Cesar, and she had to heave to for us. On observing this, my anxiety to reach Valparaiso as early as possible 348 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. induced me to prefer the request that captain Blay would allow me to take a passage with him for the remainder of the voyage. He kindly pressed me with much eagerness to do so (we were then in about 34 S., and between 87 and 88 W. longitude); and as the advantage of arriving only one day ahead of the schooner might prove of consequence, I had some clothing brought me, and remained where I was. Towards sun-down, the captain of our little craft quitted us, and both vessels made all sail ; but the Jules Cesar had greatly the advantage. The next day, August 13th, the schooner was just visible, far away to leeward, but towards evening she was no longer discernible. The wind continued easterly with northing. Captain Blay, who appeared acquainted with the coast, determined on keeping well to the southward, as he was certain of a southerly wind on nearing the land. His experience was justified by the results. August 18th. At daylight we ran past isle Masa- fuera, at about a league to the northward of it. This is one of the islands discovered by Juan Fernandez ; small, but particularly high and bold; discernible many leagues at sea. August 19th. On gaining the deck this morning, Isle de Tierra, better known as Juan Fernandez, the scene of Alexander Selkirk's isolated solitude, was distant about five leagues to the eastward of us. De Foe's admirable tale of Robinson Crusoe caused me to view it with a great deal of interest : particularly as in an extract from one of the London papers I saw an account of the submersion of Juan Fernandez by an AERIVE AT VALPARAISO. 349 earthquake. From subsequent accounts, it appeared that the island had actually sustained a severe sub- terraneous convulsion, and some curious phenomena ensued, which gave rise to the hastily credited report. We kept away from three to four leagues to the northward of it, to prevent being becalmed, and at that distance it assumed much the appearance of Gambier's Islands ; its high broken points and ridges looking very like the amalgamated cluster of the last-named group. August 2lst. The Main was discernible; and, as we neared, the coast presented a most beautiful prospect. The dark mountains in the foreground, relieved by every variety of shade, were backed by the magnificent range of the Cordilleras, covered with their eternal snow, hiding their heads in the bosom of rolling vapours, and reflecting from their sides the most dazzling lustre. We came to an anchor at three P.M., and at five, captain Blay and I went ashore. The schooner had not arrived, nor did I expect her to have done so, as we had experienced very heavy weather the whole of the time after we had parted with her, and up to the time of making Isle Masafuera we were close hauled. The port had been visited by a destructive fire since my last visit, and a melancholy space of blackened ruins was the only vestige of many a fair, tall, goodly house. The loss of property was esti- mated at the value of ten millions of dollars. The principal sufferers were English and French mer- chants ; there not being a single Chileno who sustained 350 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. loss to any extent. We roved about for the space of two hours in search of a place to obtain refreshment, and made but a sorry shift after all : the whole of the boarding houses and refreshment rooms that I was formerly acquainted with had either been burnt down, or the proprietors had failed and given up business ; so that we, half-starved tempest-tossed voyagers, found but sorry welcome after all our troubles. August 26th. My anxiety respecting the schooner was relieved by her arrival this day. Her lengthened detention had arisen from her last suit of sails having been blown literally to rags ; and her appearance indicated that fortune had not ceased to persecute her after I had quitted her. On comparing the tracks of the two vessels, it appeared that they had both traversed nearly the same route. Every vessel that came from the westward this year experienced similar weather. Our passage was extended to eight-two days ; that of the Jules Cesar was upwards of seventy ; and other traders and vessels of war, English and French, made equally bad passages. One of the first pieces of information I received on finding our agent (he had been burnt out) was, that the vessel we had trans- shipped our cargo in for Sydney had gone to the bottom ; part of the cargo (casks of oil) having been recognised by the brands, at an island on which they had been thrown up, some 600 or 700 miles to the westward of the Society Isles. As nothing has been seen or heard of the vessel, it is supposed that all hands must have perished. H. M. S. Favorite ARRIVAL OF THE SCHOONER. 351 sailed from Tahiti for Sydney shortly after the un- fortunate vessel above alluded to left Raiatea ; she encountered dreadful weather, losing her boats, and it was reported that three of her men were washed overboard. Altogether this has been a most tem- pestuous season ; and I cannot help imagining that the comet must have had some influence on the weather. END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. LONDON : SPOTTISWOODES and SHAW, New-street-Square. ROVINGS THE PACIFIC, FROM 1837 TO 1849 : A GLANCE AT CALIFORNIA, BY A MERCHANT LOXG RESIDENT AT TAHITI. WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS PRINTED IN COLOURS. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL n. LONDON: LOXGMAX, BROWN, GREEX, AXD LONGMANS. 1851. CONTENTS THE SECOND VOLUME. CHAPTER I. Leave Valparaiso. Narrowly Escape Shipwreck. Pitcairn's Island. Mistakes relative to Oneo Island. Reach Tahiti, French Pro- ceeding. Dethronement of Pomare. Revisit Borabora. Go to Maupiti for King Tapoa. Shyness of Natives. Explanation. A Hurricane. Sentiments of the Natives a,s regards the French. A Letter from Queen Pomare's Husband to Tapoa and his Family. Preservation of a Boat's Crew. Huaru. Effects of the Hurricane at Raiatea. Return to Tahiti Departure of the Dublin Frigate. Mr. Pritchard not recognised as British Consul. A threatened rising of the Natives induces the Queen to write a Letter to her People. Conduct of Two aged Chiefs. Pomare seeks Refuge on board the Ketch of War Basilisk. The Queen prohibited from returning to the Shore. Again get under weigh for Valparaiso. Island of Tituroa. Off Ana. New Laws introduced there. A Native Trial. Discover a Lagoon Island, which proves to be the veritable Hereheretue. An Episode re- specting it. That blessed Rapa once more. Extravagant Notions on the Value of Pearls. Three Natives join the Vessel to go to the Main. Ludicrous Transition of feeling - - 1 CHAP. IL Arrive at Valparaiso. Letters from Tahiti. Some Account of the Troubles going on there. Get under weigh for that Island. A 3 VI CONTENTS. Ambrose and Felix Islands. Cruize for Pilgrim's Island. No Signs of its Existence. Les four Facardines prove to be Faeatae, and uninhabited. An Interview with the Savages Thrum Cap Island. At Bow Island hear of the friendly Captain of the Jules de Blosville. Sight the Two Groups. Just in time to be saved from the Wreck. Eemarks on the incertitude of the Position of the Paumutu Islands. Touch at Chain Island, and hear that Hostilities have commenced between the French and Tahitians. Off Tahiti fall in with a Whale-boat bottom up, and notice Signs of Disturbances on the Shore. Enter the Harbour. Narrative of Events that transpired during the Writer's absence. A Mis- sionary Shot. His Funeral. A Scene on Board the Ketch Bisilisk. "Britons never shall be Slaves." Constant Excitement and Alarm. Daring of a Native. Arrival of Lord George Paulet in the Carysfort. Departure of Queen Pomare for the Leeward Islands. A Trip to collect the Effects abandoned by the Missionaries. Sail for Borabora with forty or fifty of the Queen's Adherents. Interview with the Queen at Raiatea. - -44 CHAP. HI. Pass the Rubicon. Dissuade the Natives from building useless Forts. Go to Huaheine. A Chant of the Huaheine Girls. News from Tahiti. Account of the French Steamer's Movements, and the Risk she ran of being captured. Attempt of the French to obtain an Interview with Pomare. Effects of the Steamer's Mis- sion to Borabora. A Visit from Tapoa. Return to Tahiti. Accounts from Sydney and New Zealand. Letters from Queen Pomare. Arrival of the French Admiral. Another Comet. Reflections. The French Steamer goes on a last Mission to the Queen. The Queen deposed for ever. A Regent appointed, but no Alteration in the Posture of Affairs. Trade with the Lee- ward Islands restricted to Vessels wearing the Flag of France. Rumours. D'Aubigny sails for France. The United States Brig Perry salutes the Protectorate Flag, &c. Intercourse with Raiatea prohibited. Sir Thomas Thomson arrives in the Talbot, and is frivolously exposed to much Indignity. The Treatment of the English under French Domination compared with the Treat- ment of the French under Tahitian Rule. A Letter from Queen Pomare, and the Motive for introducing it - - 79 CONTENTS. Vll CHAP. IV. Wreck of the Averick, cast away at Raiatea, purchased. Permission to go to Raiatea. Report of the French Steamer's Proceedings. Conduct of the Queen of Huaheine. Anecdote of her Sister Maiera. The way in which the Protectorate Flag was conferred upon Raiatea, and its Reception. The Nature of the Protection accorded to Raiatea exemplified. Quit Raiatea, and return to it from Tahiti in the Hamburgh Brig Ferdinand. Difficulties with the Natives. Go in Search of the King. Faroa. Queen Pomare. Opoa. Relaxed Allegiance owing to the Excitement of the Times. Crew desert. An Official Notice, and its great Utility. Anomalies. Clear out for Raiatea, with an Admonition. O, rare blockade! War, and Rumour of War. More difficulty. Go to see Tamatoa, who now signs himself Ariipeapea (the troubled King). Disaffection of the Chiefs at Borabora. How Tapoa became King of Borabora. Obstinate Conduct of the Chiefs at the Encampment. Sail for the Hervey Group. Miti- aru. Atiu. Mauke." Narurotu. Non-existence of certain Islands marked on the Chart. Set of the Current off Mauke. Come to an Anchor at Tahiti, and learn that the Seige is raised, but that all the old vexatious Regulations continue in force. More Bother about returning to Raiatea. Expensive Autographs. Scenes in Borabora. Alas! how changed the Place! French Influence. A pleasing Surprise. Death of Pomare's Infant. A Visit from the blockading Squadron. Word from Borabora. French Steamer called at Huaru. The Courtesy of her Com- mander. Sail for Tahiti. Mr. Pritchard sent to the Navigators' Islands as Consul. Report that the English Admiral is in sight 103 CHAP. V. Disappointment. The Protectorate Flag saluted by the British Ad- miral. Frantic Behaviour of a Native. Object of the Admiral's Arrival. The Collingwood (eighty) enters the Harbour. A Deputation to destroy Hope. A Pic-nic in the Valley of Faatuana. Departure of the Admiral. A Trip to Moorca. Proceedings oftheUranie. Trust betrayed. A Deputation to effect Cessation of Hostilities. The Consequences of holding out false Assurances, &c. Papeeti attacked by the Natives. The Uranie recalled. Vlll CONTENTS. The Blockade of the Leeward Islands publicly announced to be removed. Re-appearance of the French Admiral. A Voyage to Sydney. The Schooner calls at Eaiatea, and is nearly lost. A passing Interview with the Chiefs. Under weigh for the Naviga- tors' Islands. Rose Island, &c. The Island of Upolu ; its Har- bours. The Natives; their Habits, &c. ; their Houses. Earth- quakes occasionally felt. Mischievous Work of the White Ant. The Way in which Mr. Pritchard was installed British Consul. Propagandists. War at Savaii. Timely Concessions avert War at Upolu. Council Meeting, &c Apolima. Walpole Island. Isle of Pines. Port Hunter, at New South Wales, made a Port of Entry for Merchandise. Arrive in Sydney. Observations. 132 CHAP. VI. On the way to Tahiti. Sight the Three Kings and Rurutu. Land on Rurutu, and obtain further Particulars of the Island. Inge- nuity of a Native. A neuralgic Headache prevents further Ex- ertion. Arrival in Papeeti Sail for Raiatea. Ill-treatment of Pomare by her Husband. Arrival of the Frigate Grampus. Make an Excursion to the Encampment at Papeenoo, to try and induce the Natives to submit to Circumstances, and save further Effusion of Blood. Result of the Attempt. Sail for New Zealand in the Barque Janet. Call at Huaheine, now a Scene of Desolation. Renewed Acquaintance with the Navigators' Islands, and more Particulars. Sight Islands little known. Arrive at Bay of Islands. Overland Excursion to Hokianga. Some Par- ticulars of the War with loni Heke. The Country on the Route described. Directions for entering Hokianga from the Sea. A Kaori Forest killed by Fire. Cross the Country to the Bay of Islands. The Country on Fire. Perilous Travelling. Return to Tahiti. Pomare and her People had at length submitted to the Protectorate. Arrival of Monsieur Levand to succeed Monsieur Bruat as Governor. Departure of the Uranie for France. Bound for Valparaiso. The Island of Toobuai. High Island or Raivavia. Anothe/fortur.ate Escape from Wreck. The Coast on the Main to the northward and southward of Valparaiso. An Earthquake. Again sight Ambrose and Felix Islands on the re- turn Voyage to Tahiti. The Marquesas Isles. Resolution Bay. Island of Oaitahu. Nukuhiva, its Harbour, &c. Sight Ma- nihi. Oahe and Aratua, Low Islands of the Paumutu Group. A ludicrous Incident. Arrival in Tahiti - - - 163 CONTENTS. IX CHAP. VH. A Voyage amongst the Paumutu Islands to check-mate unfair Deal- ings. The Island of Matea. Tikahau. Rairoa. Auura.. Apatai. Toau. Aritika. Faarava, Faite. From Faarava go to Ana. The " Two Groups " properly two Lagoon Islands, the one to the north called by the Natives Marokau, that to the southward Ravahere. Hikueru. Claim of the Paumutu Islands to the Designation of Coral Islands. Marutea. Wretchedness of its People. A slight Dissertation on Murder. Mutitunga. Singular Rising of the Sea during a Calm. Tipoto. Tuanake. Hid. Katin. Raraka. Dwarf Cocoa-nut Trees. In- stances of the Virulence of poisonous Fish.'-' Kauchi. Toau coasted. Auura revisited. Rairoa. Make the Island of Matea. A Trip across it. Reach Tahiti, and learn the News of the Dethronement of Louis Philippe, and his Flight to England - 201 CHAP. vm. Not being allowed to land the Fairy's Cargo in Tahiti, proceed to Raiatea. Touch at Huaheine Discovery of more Intrigue and Double-dealing causes a precipitate Voyage to Fanning's Island. Caroline Island. Christmas Island ; with an Account of some recent Wrecks upon it Fanning's Island. Washington Island. Washington Island believed to be one with Prospect Island, and Fanning's Island identical with America Island. Palmyra Island ; its singular Conformation. Return to Fanning's Island. The Death of a Native. Penrhyn's Island ; its supposed Identity with Bennett's Island. Attempt of the Natives to capture a Schooner. Join the French Frigate Sirene, which proceed to Ana to adjust Differences and restore Order A shrewd Device, which produces Conviction. Anchor in Tahiti on Christmas Day - - 231 CHAP. LX. Purchase a Vessel, and bound for China. Call at Faarava to take in Cargo. An Elopement. Pursuit. Capture. Punishment. The Gift of a Piece of Land, and with it the Patronymic of the Donor. Clear the North-north-west Passage from the Lagoon Pass over the Position assigned by Commodore Wilkes to Walker Island, and see no Sign of it. Hawaii Observations on the so- called South-east Trades. Maui Island Ranai Island and Morokai. Oahu Honolulu. Its Harbour. Effects of the Dis- X CONTENTS. covery of a Gold Eegion in California, Ministers of King Kame- hamaha. The People's regard for Lord George Paulet. Ap- pearance of the Natives. Saturday the ' Gala-day. Native Houses, &c. The Gold Fever excites the Fever of Desertion in the Crew. Send the Vessel outside the Harbour. The Vessel struck by a Whale. The Weather-wise out again in their Pre- dictions. Speak a Whaler bound to the Sea of Japan, Reflections on the Policy of the Japanese, &c. Sail between Grigan and Pagon Islands. Norie's Chart not correct. Sail through the Bashce Islands. A Hint to Mariners. Reminiscences of Home done into Verse - - - 258 CHAP. X. Opens with a Lyrical Expression of Sentiments Contrary Weather continues. Speak an English Barque. Sight Pedro Branca. Fishing Junks. Boarded by a Pilot. Reaches Hong Kong. The Town and Port. Observations on Conloon. Burial-places of the Natives. A Trip to Macao and Canton. Tiger Island. River Population. Canton. The Boat-house. The Women. A Glance at one of the Superior Class. Two Surmises as to why the Chinese shave their Heads. Costume of the People. Inferences why the Natives of Polynesian Islands may derive their Origin from the Asiatic Continent. Religious Disposition of the Chinese. Conversation with a Chinese Artist. The English Jargon of the Country. Cumsing-moon, our highest Opium re- ceiving Station near Canton. Remarks on the illicit Trade. A Fracas at Macao. The Governor in Fault - - 279 CHAP. XII. Visit Manilla. The Bay. Beasts of Burthen. Costume. Inferiority of the Indian Race to the Natives of Islands South of the Equator. Country around Manilla. A Trip to the Village Mariquina. Fire-flies. Fear of Banditti. Exports from Ma- nilla. The great Cigar Manufactory. Pina. A Bolster Wife. Return to China The Chinese want only Leaders and Train- ing to be excellent Soldiers. British Occupation of Tiger Island in case of further disturbances with China. Pirates ; their Method of Attack. Not altogether judicious to stray far from the Facto- ries at Canton. Frogs used as Food. Long Finger Nails. Artists. Taste for Monstrosities. Force of Training over Instinct. Specimen of Chinese English. The Compredore - 305 CONTENTS. xi CHAP. XI. Bound for San Francisco. Pass through the Strait of Formosa, and crosses Tunghai or the Eastern Sea. About entering the Sea of Japan. Headed off by the Wind. The Asses' Ears and an unnoticed Rock Heavy Gale. A cluster of Islands badly laid down. A Tree coated with Barnacles. The Sun crosses the Equinox and brings change of Weather. Shooting Stars. A Song. Another Forest Giant adrift. Fogs. The Land. Shoal Water. Port San Francisco. No mistake about the Au- riferous Region. Attendants of the Gold Digger. Supposed extent of the Auriferous Region. Population. Extravagant Prices. Gamblers. The " Hounds." The Fever of Immi- gration. Disparity in the Value of Services. The principal recipients of the Gold. Sansalito. An Indian Sweating House. The Field thrown open to Adventurers. House Rent. Price of Land. Cities. Sacramento City. Suttor's Fort. Enterprise of Captain Suttor. First Discovery of the Gold. The Gambling Mania. An Alfresco Mart. Suttor's Town. The Labour imposed upon the Brute Creation and consequent great Mortality. A Suggestion given and how received. Whirling excitement of the Times. Copies of Two Dinner Bills. The Weather of San Francisco. Shipowners will have to take Warning. Eagerness with which people endeavour to leave the Country. Desertion, and the impossibility of preventing it. Comparison instituted between British North America and the United States. " Huzza for Otaheite !" - - - 330 ROVINGS THE PACIFIC. CHAPTER I. Leave Valparaiso. Narrowly Escape Shipwreck. Pitcairn's Island. Mistakes relative to Oneo Island. Reach Tahiti. French Proceedings. Dethronement of Pomare. Revisit Borabora. Go to Maupiti for King Tapoa. Shyness of Natives. Explanation. A Hurricane. Sentiments of the Natives as regards the French. A Letter from Queen Pomare's Husband to Tapoa and his Family. Preservation of a Boat's Crew. Huaru. Effects of the Hurricane at Raiatea. Return to Tahiti. Departure of the Dublin Frigate. Mr. Pritchard not recognised as British Consul. A threatened rising of the Natives, induces the Queen to write a Letter to her People. Conduct of Two aged Chiefs. Pomare seeks Refuge on board the Ketch of War Ba- silisk. The Queen prohibited from returning to the Shore. Again get under weigh for Valparaiso. Island of Tituroa. Off Ana. New Laws introduced there. A Native Trial. Discover a Lagoon Island, which proves to be the veritable VOL. IL, B EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. Hereheretue. An Episode respecting it. That blessed Rapa once more. Extravagant Notions on the Value pf Pearls. Three Natives join the Vessel to go to the Main. Ludicrous Transition of Feeling. " See how the tranquil seas Eeflect the heavens blue, Whilst, passing on, the breeze, Scarce stirs their tranquil hue ; But never trust the deep, For changeful is the sea, One moment lull'd to sleep, Next, lash'd to storms 't will be." French Song (freely translated). I WAS too much occupied with business matters to find time for pleasure excursions this trip to Valparaiso, and on October I8th, being again ready for sea, we made a start ; but just as we had got clear of the shipping, and I had " gone below," to change my dress, a flaw of wind from the abrupt headlands caught the mainsail aback, when they were in the act of jibbing, which carried away the mainboorn : this compelled us to bring to, and we were obliged to order a new boom, which I did on the instant ; and by the afternoon of October 20th) order being restored, we got underweigh with a strong southerly breeze, and stood on our course for Tahiti. On getting into the latitude of 24 30 S., which we did October 2,5th, we met with our old enemy, the inflexible east wind, now converted into our best friend, which carried us nearly due west to within six or seven degrees of longitude from Pitcairn's island. Baffling winds and heavy rains then thwarted us for three days, so that we had no opportunity of procuring observations during that period ; but by ESCAPE SHIPWRECK ON ELIZABETH ISLAND. 3 the course steered, we conjectured we were well to the southward, and considerably to the eastward, of two small islands, laid down on the chart as being east-north-east from Pitcairn's Island. November 15th. In the middle night watch, between three and four A.M., on the captain's sending a man up to furl the royal, he shouted out " Land ahead ! " The ship was instantly put about, and only in time to save us from running on to a dangerously low coral island. The weather was dark and hazy, we could see no distance from the deck, and the first land we contemplated seeing was Pitcairn's Island, which is high and bold. A curious circum- stance is connected with our escape from this low island. About an hour previous to the royal's being furled, the captain ordered it to be clued up, and sent a man aloft to furl it ; but changing his mind, called him down again, as he was ascending the topmast rigging: if this had not been the case, from the security in which we were reposing, in all probability we should have been lost, as the island was barely perceptible at the time it was observed, and an hour earlier it would have been utterly undistinguish- able. At daylight we had a proper view of it, and congratulated ourselves on our fortunate escape. It presented the appearance of a low level ridge of dead coral, covered with a dense dwarf scrub, differing little in colour from that of the ocean. We conjec- tured it to be Elizabeth Island ; and as the wind would not allow us to lay much better than west for the next few hours, we ought to have seen Hender- son's Island, laid down in the same parallel of lati- B 2 4 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. tude ; but not having done so, we assumed them to be one and the same island, seen by different navi- gators, and the position given according to the respective times shown by their chronometers ; and our surmise subsequently proved correct. Just before sundown, Pitcairn's Island was seen in the distance, and at dawn on November 16th, we were abreast of the settlement formed by the descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty. Three canoes put off to us, bearing six of the islanders ; the canoes were each dubbed out of a single piece of wood, and were so small and fragile, that I could not but admire the temerity of those who would venture to sea in them. To show how light and small they were, on a rope being made fast to them, " one hand " easily hoisted them inboard ; they were more like children's toys than things for men to venture life in. The island shoots perpendicularly from the water, and rises to the height of 1000 feet, or rather more on the loftiest ridges. The weather being favourable, I had a boat lowered and went ashore, at the landing place oppo- site the village on the north side of the island. We had no difficulty in landing, but in boisterous weather it would be impracticable. On the north-west side there is anchorage on a sandy bottom ; and as the wind throughout the year prevails nearly always from the eastward, a vessel might let go her anchor in safety, as the residents tell us the wind is never known to shift so suddenly as not to give timely warning for recovering the anchor, and placing the ship out of danger. PITCAIRNS ISLAND. 5 One of the highest points on the island is called " Look-out Ridge, " and its altitude was ascer- tained by Captain Beechy, of H. M. S. Blossom, to be 1000 feet above the level of the sea. It derived the name from its being used as a " look-out " station by the mutineers, and where they erected a hut for the party on watch, who was to give instant notice of the appearance of any sail. Such was their dread of being detected. In the early stage of their re- sidence two vessels touched at the island, and after having landed a boat's crew upon it, passed on their way without entertaining a suspicion that it was inhabited. A sailor's jack-knife was subsequently picked up at the foot of a cocoa-nut tree a speaking memento of the just grounds the fugitives had for alarm. From this ridge, which I ascended, we had an entire bird's-eye view of the island ; and the cir- cumference of its area, on the summit, was considered to be about four miles. Every available patch is under cultivation ; the soil is rich and fertile, and seen from our elevated position, it bore the appearance of one large garden. Five only of the mutineers have transmitted their names to their posterity, viz. Christian, Young, Quintall, M'Coy, and Adams. There are at present 116 of their descendants, and nearly an equal number of each sex, including the offspring of three Englishmen, who have been re- siding on the island from sixteen to twenty years, and who formed matrimonial connections there. The Tahitian dialect is nearly, if not entirely forgotten, there being but one or two who pretend to know any thing about it. The present generation speak B 3 6 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. much better English than the common run of ordi- narily educated people in England. Their phraseology is peculiarly scriptural, probably from the Bible being the principal work from which they were instructed in the written language ; their pronunciation is more deliberate than ours, and there is something peculiar in the intonation of their voices. They are several shades lighter in colour than the Tahitians, and bear generally a closer resemblance to their male pro- genitors. Some of the young women are of exceed- ingly interesting appearance, finely and firmly formed ; and with their short upper tunics and bare arms, and from the mode in which they dress their hair, they strongly reminded me of the classic figures of the ancients. Both sexes go with bare legs and feet, and they equally participate in the labour of culti- vating the earth. I entertained the idea that all on the island looked upon one another as the children of one family, and shared property in common. This used to be the case formerly, I was told ; but since the visits of ships have become more frequent, and the population has increased so largely, every one labours for himself to secure the necessaries which his own immediate family may require. To prevent disputes, the arable part of the island was divided into sections, and equitably allotted upon agrarian principles. Now each family is guided, in its cultivation, by its wants ; and according to their industry, so are they enabled to supply themselves with articles of European manufacture, by bartering surplus pro- duce to whale ships and others touching at the island THE PEOPLE OF PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 7 for refreshments. Yams and sweet potatoes are the principle articles they have for barter, which they dispose of at the rate of two dollars per barrel, re- ceiving payment either in cash or goods. They can all read and write ; and a Mr. Nobbs, one of the beforeinentioned Englishmen, who settled amongst them many years ago, officiates as missionary teacher and schoolmaster ; and as such, is exempt from the labour of the field. He married a descendant of Christian's, and represents himself as having formerly served as a lieutenant under Lord Cochrane, who did the Chilian state some service. He has seven or eight children ; and I found him intelligent and commu- nicative, and from him I derived most of the par- ticulars I learnt respecting the island. He took me to visit Adams's grave, who died fifteen or sixteen years ago; the last survivor of the mutineers, and the only one of them besides Young who died a natural death. The latter died from an asthmatical complaint some years previously ; the rest either fell by their own hands, or in mutual conflict, or were treacherously murdered. The present gene- ration know but little of bygone events, as in all probability their fathers did not wish a knowledge of them to be preserved, and the women abducted from Tahiti could not explain them. From what few particulars have reached the present day, it would appear that remorse, despair, and recrimina- tion, led to scenes of bloodshed ; and not one of the mutineers, in his own person, had to rejoice in the success of his violation of his country's laws. One B 4 8 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of the Tahltian women is still in existence ; but she was in a distant part of the island and I did not see her. Their houses, of which, from the scarcity of material, there are only five or six on the island, are built principally from the wreck of the Bounty, and stand with their gable ends due east and west ; their interiors being fitted up something like a ship's 'tween-decks, with bunks, or fixed sleeping-berths, running round the sides of the room. They have a church, Mr. Nobbs being minister ; and Sunday is particularly venerated by them. To settle disputes, or any differences that may arise, they annually elect a magistrate, who, upon any disturbance, convenes the heads of families to hear the arguments of the disputants, and is guided by the majority of voices in forming his decision, which is final. They have now got ducks, fowls, pigs, and goats upon the island ; but as they have only been introduced of late, by ships touching there, they are not in abundance at present. Independent of the yam and sweet potato, they have the Irish potato, cabbage, onion, and other vegetables ; and bananas, plantains, pine-apples, melons, cocoa-nuts, and other tropical fruits ; but the islanders begin to complain that population increases too rapidly for the size of the island. They were all carried to Tahiti some few years ago, where they received a friendly wel- come, and land was assigned them for their support ; but after a short residence, they chartered a ves- sel to reconvey them to Pitcairn's Island ; for, although they liked Tahiti well enough, they were MISTAKES EELATIVE TO ONEO ISLAND. 9 disgusted at the sensual abandonment of the people, and the lax tone of morality that generally prevailed. I was informed by Buffitt, another of the English- men married on Pitcairn's Island, and who has been living there for the last twenty years, that north-west by north by compass, and distant seventy-two miles from Pitcairn's Island, there is a dangerous sandy reef, about a mile in circumference, known as Oneo Island. No less than three different positions are assigned to it on our chart, under three different names. The error arose from Captain Bond of the Martha having seen it, and, unconscious that it had been previously discovered, having called it Martha Island; and, I suppose to make assurance double sure, the recipient of the information, on his own responsibility, inter- polated another island, and christened it Bond's Island. Some of the Pitcairn Islanders visited it in company with Buffitt ; and the latter, who has been a sailor, and second mate on board a merchantman, assures me that there is but the one reef, and that it is nearly a wash, and unworthy of the name of an island.* In like manner, some of the Pitcairn Islanders, aware of the near vicinity of Elizabeth Island, and fearing lest at some future period they should be compelled to seek other land for the support of their increasing numbers, induced a whaling vessel to convey them to it, that they might examine its capabilities. To use their'own expression, " It is useless, being entirely covered with broken coral." Two of them were * Oneo, in the Tahitian dialect, signifies sand. 10 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. engaged in the survey from sunrise till sunset, and came away quite satisfied of its barren untenantable nature ; they also confirmed the notion I had already formed, that there was but the one island. Captain Henderson made it shortly after it had been seen by the captain of the Elizabeth, and inserting it in his chart, agreeably to the time shown by his watch, be- stowed upon it his own patronym ; hence the mistake. And doubtless, from a similar cause, many islands have found existence on the charts that have no existence in reality, particularly in the whaling tracks of the Pacific; the captains of American whalers generally trusting more to " look-outs " than to their accurate knowledge of navigation, a handful of miles, more or less, being of no particular moment to them. Evidences of the existence of an earlier and more primitive race of beings on Pit- cairn's Island are frequently turning up, independent of the rude monuments which yet remain in the morais or burial-places. Skeletons are sometimes dug up by the present occupiers of the soil, and rude implements of labour, such as stone axes, spear- heads, &c. Judging from the bones, the former race of inhabitants must have been a large-sized people ; but as no human being was found alive on the arrival of the mutineers, nothing but conjecture is left to determine their history. November 18th. Passed Gambier's Islands; and having corrected our chronometer by Pitcairn's Island, we found it to correspond exactly with the position asigned to them by Captain Beechy, who also sur- veyed Pitcairn's Island. DETHROXE3IEXT OF POMARE. 11 November 23rd. Thick hazy weather, so much so, that although the island of Maitea is particularly bold and high, \ve shot by without seeing it, till it was well aft on our quarter, and then it might have been taken for a cloud. At four P. M. we dropped anchor in Taonoa passage, the wind not allowing us to reach the anchorage off Papeeti. The next day we had to stand to sea again, and bring the vessel in at the western entrance. AVhat a change had come over the spirit of the place ! what an alteration had been effected during my absence ! The French had at length thrown off the mask. All the operations that it was rumoured were intended to be directed against the Marquesa Islands were transferred to Tahiti ; the whole of the Georgian and Society Isles, with Heaven ^nows how many others, were declared to be possessions of Louis Philippe of France, and the tricolor was flying on Motuiti, the little islet at the entrance of the harbour. Poor Queen Pomare had been ejected from houses and land, deprived of all rank or estate, and left dependant on the affections of her people for support. Her situation is very affecting; but she bears it firmly, relying on Britain to see her finally restored to her rights. Crowds of her people come daily to see her, bringing her presents of money and provisions. I observe that she has frequently great difficulty in repressing her tears at these proofs of their loyalty, probably also from a sense of her altered condition. She received me as an old friend, but I was obliged to check my expres- sions of sympathy and regard, as it shook her 12 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. firmness, and made her " play the woman with her eyes." The present posture of affairs was brought about by the intrigues of a needy manoeuvring Belgian adventurer. Nearly four years ago, some French priests of the Romish persuasion having landed upon the island, and attempted to disseminate their doc- trines ; were ordered by the queen to make their exit, for she had no wish that any creed should be introduced amongst her people differing from that which they had already been taught. The priests refused to leave, alleging as a reason that their vessel was not sea- worthy. The queen persisted, that as the vessel sufficed to bring them there, so it must serve to take them away again ; and ultimately force was employed in expelling them. The Belgian, who had an eye of establishing himself in favour with the French government, and Avho was, or who had been, acting consul for the United States, but receiving no salary, worked himself into a state of zeal bordering on frenzy, in behalf of the banished Frenchmen, and vowed that Tahiti should be taught what it was to trifle with " La grande Nation." Captain Du Petit Thouars arrived shortly after, and extorted from the queen the sum of 2000 dollars, and certain concessions in favour of the priests and Frenchmen generally ; the Belgian receiving the firstfruits of his diplomacy, by being nominated Consul de France. Two years or more subsequently to this piece of successful finesse, a disturbance ensued upon the beach, from some drunken French seamen inciting a dog to fight with a favourite dog be- FRENCH PROCEEDINGS IN TAHITI. 13 longing to the queen. The men were placed in confinement for their turbulent conduct, which was strictly in accordance with the laws of the island. Intelligence of the apprehension of his men having reached their captain, he armed the rest of his crew, and without a word of remonstrance or application to the authorities, attacked the house they were confined in, with the idea of liberating them, for which he was justly overpowered and treated to the same suspension of liberty. As he was frantically violent, and Tahitian houses are but of fragile construction, his feet were secured in stocks to prevent his escape, this being the only means they have of ensuring the security of out- rageous prisoners. Shortly after this event Du Petit Thouars, now admiral, and commanding the Heine Blanche, again appeared off the island, and sent in a boat to make inquiries. He was on his way to the Sandwich Islands, and had not the intention of entering with his vessel ; but the Belgian, encou- raged by the success that crowned his first efforts, went off and submitted such statements, and held out such inducements to Du Petit Thouars, that the admiral, fairly cajoled, or blinded by his vanity, brought his vessel into the harbour; and for this last indignity offered to France, he ordered the queen to place herself under the protection of France, and to subscribe a letter addressed to Louis Philippe demanding such protection; and declaring that un- less she did so within a given time, he would bring his batteries to bear upon the island, and scatter the settlement to the winds. Pomare who was at the neigh- 14 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. bouring island of Moorea, and within a few hours of her accouchement, no sooner received the tidings of this fresh attempt at extortion, than she stoutly refused to sign any document ; " she knew its drift," she said, "they wanted to dispossess her of her islands, but they should never have her sanction for doing so, and they might fire upon the place as soon as they pleased." Unhappy woman ! with the pangs of labour almost upon her, and surrounded and besieged by timid, ignorant, and interested persons, all entreating her to sign the letter, she at length complied ; but in her agony of grief she declared that she only did so to save the lives and property of those foreigners who were living on her land. On receipt of this bitter document, two officers from the Reine Blanche were sent to reside ashore, and with the Belgian made the Triumvirate forming the provisional government of Tahiti. One Avas called " Lieutenant Governor," the other " Captain of the Port," and the Belgian was styled " Royal Commissioner of France" Not displeased at the happy results his bullying had effected, Du Petit Thouars steered away to extend his fame, and acquire fresh glory. The letter signed by the queen would of course reach Louis Philippe, and as from its contents he could not tell by what means it had been obtained, he would probably be contemplating the honours with which to invest the gallant admiral, for making the simple inoffensive inhabitants of a quiet little island in the Pacific sensible of the grandeur, the might, and the far reaching power of France ; for it would be natural to suppose, that a FEEXCH PROCEEDINGS IX TAHITI. 15 letter with Pomare's signature attached could be no other than a voluntary act. Poor misguided Pomare, inexperienced in diplomatic treaties, and looking upon the French as her worst enemies, as how could she do otherwise, since their advent to her island had been the signal of trouble and distress, in her ill judging policy, instead of addressing Louis Philippe, with a protest against the force that had been so cruelly exercised, applied to Britain for assistance, and of course France would be prepared to show Britain her just indignation at the absurdity of such an insulting application. But now appears another and an unexpected actor on the Tabitian stage. Commodore Xicolas arrives in the frigate Vindic- tive, and the number of appeals which the poor queen makes to him induces the commodore to take a lively interest in her welfare. He refuses to acknowledge the protectorate until he hears from his own government, and promises to shield Pomare from insult and injury. It must be here premised that the provisional government had been for many months left without any executive power, and without seeing the need for any, nor were the Triumvirs molested or interfered with. It must also be observed that no objection had been made to Pomare's retaining her private flag, but in the flag to be used by commercial vessels the French union had been inserted. The queen had been in the habit of visiting the neighbouring islands in a schooner built by her own people, and there were several schooners of similar size and appearance plying between the islands, and flying the flag as it was J6 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. when originally presented to them by captain Laws, of H. M. S. Satellite, the same flag being used at all the islands both of the Georgian and Society group, now limited in Tahiti to the queen's private use. About this time, as a vessel was either going out or coming into the harbour, Commodore Nicolas was led to suppose from the flag that the queen was on board, and gave orders for saluting her, and had only time to countermand his instructions on discovering that the vessel belonged to a chief of a neighbouring isle, and did not carry the queen. To avoid mistake for the future, the commodore advised the queen to have some distinguishing mark in her flag that it might be immediately recognised. Delighted at the idea, she requested the commodore to design some- thing for her, as her people were not competent to the task : accordingly the Commodore caused a crown surrounded by a chaplet of cocoa-nut leaves to be wrought in the centre of her flag. The Triumvirs made some demur to this, and requested permission to insert also something in the flag; but Pomare negatived the proposition by saying, " that she was well satisfied with it as it then was, and as she meant to wear a crown, so would she carry the type of it in her flag." Nothing particular occurred during the next six months ; but the commodore then left the island by an order from his admiral, to the great dismay of the Queen and her people, who fully believed that the commodore would stand by them until the affairs of the island were finally arranged ; and doubted not but that Pomare would be rein- stated in her full independent sovereignty. FRENCH PROCEEDINGS IN TAHITI. 17 I was told that after the Vindictive had taken her departure, the queen sat watching and weeping till the frigate was no longer discernible, filled with a melancholy presage of what her fate was likely to be, now that her protector was gone. Her forebodings of ill were only too soon to be realised, for not long after the absence of the " commodore," five French vessels made their appearance in the harbour, bring- ing with them labourers, artificers, troops, guns, ammunition, a governor and his staff, and the officers necessary for a civil establishment, all of which were originally destined for the Marquesa Islands, which the French had taken possession of some time pre- viously. Pomare was peremptorily ordered to take down her private flag and to substitute some other, as it was insinuated that her selection of the present one had proceeded from a hostile feeling towards France, which consequently could not suffer it to remain in her possession. She might make choice of any other she pleased, or she might retain the old Tahitian flag ; but the one with the additions sug- gested by commodore Nicolas, as they were made for the purpose of insulting France, she should not be allowed to fly. Pomare resolutely refused to take down her flag, or to substitute any other. I heard that the governor went so far as to implore her to yield to circumstances, and pointed out the conse- quences of her obstinately persisting in a refusal. She repeated what she had before said, " that she was well satisfied with the flag, and would have no other; " and requested the governor, " if he had any VOL. II. C 18 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. further communications to make, to make them in writing, and she would respond in like manner." But he did not enter into much negotiation about the matter : an hour was appointed for her to take down the obnoxious flag ; and when this time arrived, as it was not removed, an armed force was landed, who hauled it down, and hoisting the tricolor, the island was declared to be taken possession of in the name of Louis Philippe of France. Pomare's house and do- main were seized upon for the use of the governor and his lady; and the out-offices and other build- ings were taken possession of as barracks, &c., for the soldiers, artificers, and others engaged in this invasion. Such I find to be the state of things; and the foregoing details, if not accurate in every respect, are, at all events, generally true. The French are busy erecting various fortifications, the little islet in front of the harbour and commanding the western entrance receiving their most assiduous attention. The men work hard and fare badly, which may account for their appearance ; for the body of Frenchmen now here, are a small ill-favoured set. They cannot for a moment bear comparison with the fine race of beings they came to supersede, and perhaps eventually to destroy. I try to keep cool, and view things with indif- ference ; but it is of no use, my blood will rise in its temperature, as I see the people who have looked up to us as their protecting allies for so many years, subjected to the insults of a parcel of pigmies, who might vie in appearance with FalstafF's ragged EEVISIT BORABORA. 19 regiment. There is a dogged sullen look in the eye of the natives, which would bode no good to the Frenchmen if mere physical attributes were to be put in requisition to decide the possession of the soil; but the natives are receding from the vicinity of the harbour, and I look in vain for many a manly form and hearty salutation that used to greet me on my former visits. Murmurs of a threatening import will occasionally pass overhead ; but what would avail the unaided resistance of a handful of naked men, however fine their physical qualities, against such a power as France ? The poor confiding people still cling to the belief that Britain will relieve them from their troubles, but I fear they are depending on a broken reed. The admiral of the station's ship, the Dublin, a fine frigate of fifty guns, is here, but the admiral himself is rusticating at the Sandwich Islands. Her presence, however, inspires the natives with confi- dence, although her captain can do nothing but pro- test against any proceedings not sanctioned by the home governments. Pomare's entreaties to her sub- jects are, " Be quiet, do nothing till we receive the letter from Britain." She submits to her fate with much philosophical firmness; but I can see that it is all based on her hopes and belief in assistance from us. December 13th. Fearing that my quick temper would lead me into encounters better avoided, to-day we got under weigh for Borabora, reaching it on the morning of December 15th. Tapoa, the king of the island, was absent at a small dependent c 2 20 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. island called Maupiti, lying between thirty and forty miles westward from Borabora; he had been away nearly three months, and his people were looking for his return with much anxiety. They earnestly entreated me to go for him, " for," said they, " he will come with you, otherwise we don't know when we shall see him." As another in- ducement for me to go, they assured me that I could obtain abundance of live stock, vegetables, and cocoa-nut oil at Maupiti ; and as fresh provisions were not to be obtained in Tahiti, I allowed myself to be persuaded, and, in defiance of a strong westerly wind, we lifted our anchor on December 16th, and beat our way over by the next morning. We fired off guns to announce our presence, as the passage through the reef surrounding the island has any thing but an inviting appearance. A stranger would doubt if there was any entrance at all. The island bears a close resemblance to Borabora, with its abruptly rising bluffs, and might well pass for its son. We had to wait some time before any one showed themselves ; at length a boat made her appearance, manned by eight natives: they proved some of the king's personal attendants, who immediately recognised me. They would not recom- mend me risking the attempt to take the vessel in ; and as no trafficking would be allowed for that day, it being Sunday, I went ashore in their boat. Tapoa received me with great warmth, but resisted all entreaties to return with me to Borabora. The natives were shy at approaching me on my first landing, and on giving the usual friendly salutation, SHYNESS OF NATIVES OF MAUPITI. 21 they made me no answer, but turned away, un- precedented conduct on the part of these friendly and simple-minded people. To avoid the broiling heat of the sun in the tedious pull against the current, I landed at once, and the boat was to pick me up again at a point opposite the settlement. I ex- pected to be surrounded by the curious, but not a soul came near me. On reaching the point, the boat had not arrived ; and whilst waiting for it, the peculiarity of their behaviour was accounted for. Three strangers made their way towards me, laden with green cocoa- nuts, which they cast at my feet, proffering their hands, and greeting me with much cordiality. The poor fellows had taken me for a Frenchman, and they thought the vessel outside was a French ship that had come to make preparatory arrangements for taking their island. On discovering their error, they made after me in the manner above described. The feeling towards the French was bitter in the extreme, and the secret of Tapoa's long stay at Maupiti un- wittingly escaped from his wife's lips. " The French," said she, " will break their ships if they attempt to come in here, but at Borabora they can enter at any time." I staid trading with them till December 19th ; nor had I been deceived as to the articles they had for barter. In pulling off to the vessel it came on to rain and blow with great violence, and the atmosphere was so thick and hazy that we lost sight of the schooner ; and after three or four hours' hard pulling we had to make the best of our way back again. Scarcely had we reached the set- c 3 22 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. tlement, when the boat ahead cried out that the vessel was close into the reef. I induced the good-natured fellows to give way once more, and this time we reached her ; but, before we had discharged the boats it was blowing a complete gale, and we had drifted considerably from the island. I did not like the ap- pearance of the night, and wished the natives to re- main with me till next morning ; but they had no fear, and having refreshed themselves, all stepped into the king's boat, and, double banking the oars, off they started. We lost sight of them immediately, and were ourselves compelled to heave to under a balanced reef storm-mainsail. I had sore misgivings for their safety, but the captain endeavoured to per- suade me that they would not feel the wind so violently close in with the reef; and as they were all powerful men, my doubts were suspended, but not satisfied. All night it blew " great guns," and at daybreak we discovered we had drifted nearly on to the reef at the starboard side of the entrance to Borabora harbour. It was fortunate that the captain knew the course by compass, for the island was so densely enveloped in fog that we could not see a cable's length beyond us. Even the bold mountainous swell, not a mile from us, and more than 1,400 feet high, was hidden in the impervious haze ; and, but for the accuracy of his judgment, we must have gone ashore. As it was, he caused the foresail to be dropped, and we ran in ; but hardly had we cleared the passage when the wind suddenly and absolutely ceased, and we were obliged to let go our anchor more than mile below the usual an- A HURRICANE. 23 chorage : and when the mist cleared away and showed us to the natives, they shouted out that the French had stolen in upon them to take their island. The portentous gloom of the morning, as night ad- vanced, began to betray the nature of its threatening import, the wind again whistled, and the sea rose un- usually high. The missionary resident had invited me to his house; but knowing the captain to be out of the vessel, I felt restless and uneasy, and on directing my gaze towards the sea; behold! it was breaking in curling crests right across the mouth of the harbour. I was so startled, that I despatched a note at once to the captain, requesting him to look seaward, and to let go his second anchor. This sent him on board ; but not a moment too soon, for at eight P.M. a very tempest was raging. Apologising to the family for my hasty departure, I hurried to the beach to watch the vessel. The sea was lashed into foam, and the water in the harbour was frothing in fury ; the wind howled fearfully, there was no possibility of getting off to the vessel, and I was compelled to remain a passive spectator. As the night wore on, the fury of the gale increased. The darkness was intense, save when the lightning, at intervals, flashed upon the scene, rendering the heavens, to the northward and west- ward, a vault of livid fire, So long as the lightning continued its fitful glare, I could catch occasional glimpses of the vessel, as she strained and laboured at her anchors ; but when it ceased I became a prey to the most painful anxiety. The wind continued increasing in might, till it appeared to me impossible c 4 24 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. that it could blow harder. I had taken shelter in the king's house; but the natives, dreading every moment to see it torn about their ears, had fled for shelter further inland. I persisted in remaining till I felt the Avaves washing against the walls and beneath the raised foundation of the house, and until the flooring and partitions were burst up and broken by the masses of coral rock hurled in by the sea. On my first attempting to escape, I was blown flat on my back ; and as I struggled off the verandah, I found myself up to my neck in the water, and the waves beating over me. I struck out for dear life, and succeeded in gaining a footing somewhere beyond the public road. The scene at this time was fearful; the raging waves, by their own unearthly light, showed the ravages they were committing. The natives, washed out of their houses, were hurrying to and fro, like demons of the storm, with flaring torches. As you contended against the furious blast, and the dangers that surrounded you, you were continually stumbling over the wrecks of houses and fences, and fallen trees ; and as often as I ventured to turn my eyes in that direction where the vessel had been left, the only thing discernible was the sparkling of the waves, tossing in the wildest frenzy. I gave her up for lost, and was led to the harrowing conclusion that " all hands " had perished. To keep my mind from dwelling on this supposition, and also to see if I could render any assistance to the missionary and his infant family, we fought our way to his residence, though frequently com- DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THE HUERICANE. 25 pelled to lie down to the blast, and cling to the earth to recover breath. The family had been re- moved to a more secluded, and better sheltered spot ; but the house being much further inland than the generality of the buildings, and somewhat pro- tected by the shoulder of a hill, it had not yet yielded, although much damaged, and they were in hourly anticipation of its going. Ao-ain I hastened to the beach, and we narrowly O * escaped death. A large tree torn up by the roots, dashed down within a few paces of us ; and such was the roaring of the blast, that we never heard the crashing of the tree, and only knew the danger we had escaped by the blow received on our legs and faces, and from finding ourselves entangled in the maze of branches that had been precipitated to the earth. Finding I could do nothing, for a greater power than man's was abroad, I had to wait in the best way I. could till dawn. The kindness and anxiety evinced for me by the natives will, so long as I am in being, be remembered with deep gratitude. Amidst all their difficulties, and the trouble they were in to save their families and property from destruction, they would be continually calling to know if I was safe ; and one or other of them would seek my hand and grasp it to make sure. Three times during that fearful night were we washed from different places of refuge ; and even as they started up to fly, the first cry was for me. With the first symptoms of returning light I was down upon the beach as far as I dared to 26 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. wade, on the look out for the vessel. The hurricane had abated, but the wind was still high. In vain I strained my eyes and scanned the troubled waters : the vessel was not to be seen. The painful conviction that all had perished was borne upon my mind, and I was turning slowly and sorrowfully away, when happening to cast my eyes to the op- posite extremity of the harbour, there, to my un- speakable satisfaction, I discovered the schooner, all ataunto, with her royal yard across, and dashing the spray from her bows, as she rocked and tossed on the fretted billows. Never before did I experience such a sensation as her appearance in safety gave me; I could neither laugh nor cry. The sudden transition was too great, my joy amounted to pain ; " for sudden joy, like sudden grief, will kill." These feelings subsided, I had time to pay attention to my neighbours, and what a scene of desolation did I witness ! Not a house upon the island stood entire ; the beach was strewed with wreck, and scarcely a bread-fruit tree was standing. The devastation was terrible, not a vestige of either of the churches re- mained. Some beautiful large trees that used to grace the beach had been torn up by the roots, and all the small craft that the natives had been engaged in building were buried in the sand and debris thrown up by the sea, or were broken and carried inland ; and the houses appropriated for the manu- facture of cocoa-nut oil, with boats, troughs, casks, &c., were utterly destroyed and washed away. The safety of our schooner excited much admira- tion and congratulation amongst the natives; but UNCONCERN OF THE NATIVES. 27 their own losses never seemed to give them a moment's uneasiness. They talked about their food and houses being all destroyed with as much unconcern as if it was an occurrence of no consequence ; and whilst searching amongst the ruins for the chance of re- covering any of their missing property, you could hear them laughing and jesting one with the other as if the whole was only a fit subject for a joke. I was much struck with the coolness of one old man. By the labour of years, he had erected a snug, neat little cottage, built in the European style ; he had besides amassed some little property, and owned a vessel of about twenty tons burden, which was hauled alongside his house; he had also out-houses for storing oil, troughs, &c. His vessel was crushed by a large iron-wood tree falling across it, and the point on which his houses, &c., were standing was washed as bare as the palm of my hand. " The dwelling-house," said he, with a smile, " was carried bodily out to sea, and remained for a little tossing about like a ship ; but at last the waves crumbled it up." " But have you lost everything ? " asked the mis- sionary. " All's done ! " he replied, extending his fingers and depressing the palms of his hands ; " the sea has swallowed it all." And with this he walked away, apparently as unconcerned as if nothing had hap- pened. The natives of Borabora are, I believe, considered the most valiant of the natives of the Society Isles. They certainly display more energy and enterprise 28 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. than the others, and in former days they were the boldest warriors. They expressed a firm determi- nation never to submit to French government. I laughed, and enquired, " What will you do ? " " Wait till you see," was the rejoinder. " But," said I, " by offering resistance, you will only involve yourselves in certain destruction." " We don't know that ; and even if we do, we would rather die than live under their rule." They handed me a letter, sent by Pomare to Tapoa, at Maupiti, and who forwarded it by me for the perusal of his chiefs. The following is a literal trans- lation : "December 12th, 1843, Paofai, Tahiti. " To Ariipapa and his family, " Peace be to you, and to your little child also. We sympathise with you and your little girl in your dwelling down below, hearing of all the trouble that has fallen upon these lands. The land is not well. The letter has not yet arrived from England for which we are waiting ; we are living in fear and trouble. If anything should be heard that is dis- pleasing to France, the person is fastened in irons and sent away. Penehata made known to us a little speech ; which circumstance was told to Praita and (naming the Belgian incendiary), and he was fastened in irons and sent to Raiatea. We are indeed dwelling in the midst of fear and trouble. Were it not for the English ship of war, we should have long since been scattered to the mountains. LETTER FROM POMARE'S HUSBAND TO TAPOA. 29 The English ship of war is our only place of refuge. The French are erecting fortifications, for which purpose they are cutting down the cocoa-nut and bread-fruit trees. One French ship of war has gone to the Marquesas for the purpose of bringing soldiers to Tahiti. It is not known that they will all dwell at Papeeti ; it is conjectured that they will spread over all parts of the land, and by that means be the cause of many Frenchmen coming here ; such is the opinion of the inhabitants of Moorea and Tahiti. The desire of the people is, to fall upon the French and utterly destroy them ; but this is not agreed to, although it is the general wish of the people entirely to annihilate these Frenchmen ; and if but a word had escaped from us, importing, " Come ! " a disturb- ance would long since have ensued. But we are waiting with patience for the letter from England ; for should we begin now ourselves, we understand that no assistance will be granted us from England hereafter. Peace be to you and to the child. (Signed) " ARIIFAAITI, T. " To Tapoa and his family, Maupiti, Borabora." Amongst the chieftains of the islands, Tapoa is addressed either as Tapoa or Ariipapa. Arii means king. The above letter, in the original, is written and subscribed by the queen's husband ; the T. after his signature indicating tani, or husband. In ano- ther letter, on domestic matters, written by Pomare herself, she signs herself, Ariifaaiti, V. ; the V. standing for vahini, or wife. 30 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC, It will be seen by the foregoing that all their hopes are centred in Britain, but I fear they are uselessly reposed. Many years ago, when the guava tree was first introduced into the country, on the natives observing how rapidly it spread, over-run ning the soil, and killing all other trees in its way, they pronounced it to be typical of their forthcoming doom. They foresaw by this, that their land would be taken away from them by foreigners, and that they would ultimately be all destroyed. They now alluded to this saying. The signs of the times are favouring the prediction. I accompanied the missionary in an excursion over the island, and we found that it had suffered every where from the effects of the hurricane. On our re- turn to the harbour, the boat that had quitted the schooner off Maupiti was there. The poor fellows had been blown to Raiatea. They informed me, that just as they had made the passage three of their oars broke, and in spite of all their exertions they were carried out to sea, both wind and current setting them there. They had a small spritsail, which they set, and tried to overtake us ; but darkness, and the fear of swamping the boat, induced them to keep her dead before the wind. They missed Borabora, and were brought up by Taaha, whence they crossed over to Raiatea. " The sea," they said, " was very terrible, and they never expected to live through the night." I elicited these particulars by a series of cross ques- tions, as they met me with the air of having separated from me only an hour or two ago, and unless I had EFFECTS OF THE HUEKICANE AT EAIATEA. 31 questioned them, they would have scarcely made allusion to the imminent peril they had encountered. They made no attempt at extortion, but took their compulsory trip as a thing of course, a chance they were at all times liable to. Time is of no great value to them ; and so long as the wants of nature are supplied, it seems of little consequence, where or how they pass it. They gained Raiatea before the hurricane commenced, otherwise nothing could have saved them. I offered to take them and their boat back to Maupiti in the vessel, but they pre- ferred adopting their own time and pleasure with the boat. January 2nd, 1844. Bade farewell to the mission- ary and his family, and to the kind-hearted natives of Borabora, for whom I feel a more than ordinary attachment, from the affectionate solicitude displayed towards me on the occasion of the common danger. The same afternoon, at three o'clock, we dropped anchor in the harbour of Huaru, opposite captain Hunter's location. The hurricane had visited Raiatea pretty roughly, but not quite so harshly as it had treated Borabora ; marks of its devastating progress were visible in every part of the island. Four un- happy beings, who were living on an islet within the reef were washed away, and nothing was ever seen of them again. Captain Hunter's place had suffered severely : the parterres in front of his dwelling, and all the little elegant arrangements of his daughters, were annihilated, and a bed of sand and coral deposited in lieu. His warehouses, sugar plantation, Sec., had 32 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. also sustained much injury ; and the cheerful prospect that was wont to smile around his abode is, for a season, entirely destroyed. January 8th. We had finished taking in and stowing thirty tuns of oil, purchased from captain Hunter, when, bidding him and his hospitable family circle adieu, we again got under weigh and steered for Huaheine, reaching it January 10th. From this date till the 16th we were busily engaged receiving cargo. Huaheine had suffered nothing from the gale in comparison with the islands we had just left, and no damage of any consequence had ensued. January IQth. Lifted our anchor, to let it go again, on the 17th, in the harbour of Papeeti. To my regret I found the Dublin making every prepara- tion for sailing by nine o'clock the next morning. Intelligence had arrived by the government ketch Basilisk that some disturbance had broken out at Mexico, and the Dublin was ordered to the Sandwich Islands to take up the admiral. This announcement produced quite a damp on the spirits of the natives, and tearful melancholy was visible in all the faces of the queen's household. January 18th. True enough, the Dublin was off at the hour signified ; and we were left with the little Basilisk sole guardian and supporter of British interests on the island. The British consul accredited to queen Pomare was not recognised by the French since their usurpation of the island ; and they refused to receive him, even provisionally, in such capacity, alleging that Mr. Pritchard's influence with the na- tives was too inimical to French interests. The LETTER PROM POMARE TO HER PEOPLE. 33 Dublin had not been gone many days before the self-constituted authorities despatched armed boats to various parts of the island to arrest certain chiefs, zealous adherents to the queen's interests ; and even Mr. Pritchard, the British consul, was threatened with deportation from the island. When the Dub- lin took her departure, the natives became so dis- contented, that casting aside all hopes of assistance from Britain, they determined on a general rising, to try and effect their own deliverance. News of their intention reaching the ears of the missionaries at the different stations, they wrote to Mr. Pritchard, appris- ing him of the rumour, and requesting his assistance in trying to prevent the effusion of blood. Mr. Pritchard lost no time in consulting with the queen, who despatched a letter to her chiefs and people, praying them to be orderly and to obey the laws : and she concluded, " Do not believe that Britain has cast us off; we have still one little ship left to watch over us, and two large vessels of war are expected here shortly. AYait patiently for the letter from England. Do these French people no wrong, neither enter into any quarrel with them. Be kind to them, and bear all with great patience ; take me for your guide ; wait patiently, and pray fervently, that we may be delivered from the great afflictions that have fallen upon us, the same as fell upon Hezekiah whom the Lord delivered." For promulgating this letter, some of the most influential of Pomare's chiefs were seized in the dead of night, and conducted, for greater security, to one of the men-of-war. It is impossible to describe the consternation those stealthy VOL. II. D 34 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. proceedings excited ; amazement and dismay sat on every countenance. One aged chief, nearly seventy years old, when the guard roused him from his slumbers by the side of his wife, demanded " why they broke in upon his sleep like a thief in the night ? What crime had he committed that he was to be made a prisoner of." He refused to step into the boat, requiring to be confronted with the governor. The only answer to the old man's remonstrances was a rude thrust, which knocked his hat off, and he was hustled into the boat without ceremony. Another old chief was arrested by an armed force for treating with con- tempt the French authority. This old man was one of the most devoted of Pomare's partisans, and as an illustration of native character, I will describe the particulars of his offence, On a French procla- mation being issued, in the native language, the old man, looking at it, said to some of his followers, "What is that? I can't see it ! 'tis too high!" It was lowered ; " 'Tis too high ! I can't see it !" Again it was lowered, and again he repeated the same words, till it was at length laid upon the ground. " Good ! that is good ! " and covering it with dirt, " thus," he continued, " should the enemies of Tahiti be hidden from our sight." February 2nd. Last night, influenced by her fears, on seeing some armed soldiers pass the tempo- rary and insecure building occupied by her, Pomare fled on board the Basilisk, and claimed the protec- tion of the British flag. Rumours had frequently reached the queen that it was the intention of the AGAIN UNDER WEIGH FOR VALPARAISO. 35 French to make themselves masters of her person ; and though I have been credibly informed that nothing was further from their contemplation, still, the capture of so many chiefs devoted to her service left Pomare but little reason to believe that her person would be any more respected, if it should suit the convenience of the French to seize it ; con- sequently, whilst she had it in her power, she sought for refuge beneath our flag. The announcement of her arrival on board, was immediately conveyed to the commander, who happened to be ashore at the time, and the protection which she sought was not withheld. For the last two or three days the vessel has been ready for sea, and I have made up my mind once more to proceed to Valparaiso, touching at Ana, or Chain Island, to take in fifteen or twenty tons of cocoa-nut oil collected there. Hitherto the deten- tion of the vessel arose from negotiations which we had entered into with the French government ; and now, fearing hostilities from the steps taken by the queen, I felt loth to quit the island until assured of its tranquillity. I waited upon commander Hunt, of the Basilisk, and condoled with poor Pomare. The commander desired me to dismiss all apprehensions, as there were not the slightest grounds for supposing that any disturbance would ensue. He had seen the governor, who explained with regard to the captured chiefs, that it was merely his intention to keep them out of the way for a time, until the feverish excite- ment of the people had somewhat abated, and which the presence of the chiefs only tended to promote. D 2 36 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. And for the same reason, the governor assumed a high tone, and prohibited the queen's return to the shore unless she appeared as a private individual, and amenable as such to the laws of France. The commander favours this style of argument : he contends that for the time being, we are in a French colony and he sees nothing in the acts as yet en- forced at variance with the constitution of the French code. He says he has in vain pointed out, that being under French government, it is necessary to observe the same conduct as if living in France ; and that in the latter country, when persons betray dis- affection, or become the objects of suspicion to the state, they are apprehended and dealt with accord- ingly ; and he therefore thought it would be better for all parties, having any interest at stake upon the island, to consider themselves English subjects resi- dent in France. He repeated his assurances that there was not the remotest chance of any collision between himself and the French authorities. Satis- fied on this head, I made my bow and gave directions for getting under weigh, and at six P.M. we were outside the reef on our way to Ana. February 3rd. In the middle night-watch, be- tween two and three o'clock A. M., we were close to the little island called Tituroa, situated about twenty- five miles due north from Point Venus. It is a low flat coral island, well covered with cocoa-nut trees. Fatness is considered a beauty with the Tahitians, and it was to this island that Pomare went previous to her marriage in order to be fattened. Bananas, I believe, are in great abundance there ; and a food A NATIVE TEIAL AT ANA. 37 called "popoi," made from this fruit pounded up with the kernels of young cocoa-nuts, is exceedingly fattening. Great variety of fish is also abundantly obtained from the reefs round the island. I have been told by those many years resident at Tahiti, that when Pomare returned from Tituroa she could not be recognised as the gracefully formed girl that went away. February \4>tli. We were abreast of Chain Island this morning, but much time was lost from my not knowing the exact spot to proceed to. The only place for rafting off oil is on the north-north-west side of the island ; and even there the casks have to be rolled a long distance over a rugged reef, and with northerly or westerly winds nothing can be done. Four white men were staying at the settlement, and they had collected between them nearly sixty tons of oil. February 15th. Hard at it all day, up to my waist in the water, superintending rafting off oil. New laws and regulations have been introduced amongst the Chain Islanders by two of the petty chieftains from Tahiti. They have adopted the curfew bell system, which rings at eight o'clock ; and after that hour, any of the natives found strolling about are apprehended and placed in confinement. They have also instituted fines to punish incontinency, the amount being doubled if married persons are the de- linquents. Whilst engaged rafting a lot of casks, one of the white men came down and told me that they were at that moment trying a girl in the church ; and as soon as the last cask was shoved off, I went out of curiosity to witness the trial. But my curiosity D 3 38 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. was exceeded by my astonishment when I found the charge exhibited against the girl was, that she had committed herself with me, and that four fellows had sworn that they were eyewitnesses to her guilt. Just as I came up, the judge, with the Tahitian printed code of laws in his hand, had summed up the evi- dence, and was directing the girl to be fined in twenty fathoms (forty yards) of cloth, being ten for herself, and ten for me, the upright judge not deeming it necessary to try me, nor even to apprise me of what was going on. Much incensed, I challenged the verdict, and desired that the girl's accusers might be confronted with me. The judge objected, saying the trial was finished ; but I insisted, and warned the court against carrying the amercement into exe- cution. "Easy ! easy ! " said the judge. " I'll not be easy," I replied, " when I witness such an abuse of the laws ; let me see the liars, and I'll soon prove their falsehood. It is true I'm only single-handed amongst you, and can't give you your deserts for such a base exercise of authority; but you shall make me a prisoner before you inflict the fine, whilst the vessel proceeds to where I direct her, and on her return we'll see if you also can stand a trial." " That will do ! that will do ! " cried the equitable holder of the balance of justice, " let the witnesses show themselves." The Avorthies came, looking much more like culprits than honest men ; and after I had put a few questions, they so prevaricated and committed themselves, that DISCOVER THE VERITABLE HEREHERETUE. 39 they were glad to sneak away, and the poor abashed girl was acquitted. One half the penalty goes to the informer. It was well known that the girl had no cloth, but the vagabonds thought by implicating her with me, that I would pay the fine rather than see her imprisoned ; and there was considerable mirth excited amongst the other natives at the sheepish appearance of the witnesses when I so unexpectedly came and " turned the tables ;" but I could not induce the judge to punish them for their perjury. By noon on February 16th we had finished taking in, and as the wind admitted of our making easting, we lost no time in prosecuting our voyage. February I8th. Early this morning land was de- scried from the mast-head, and at noon we were well up with it. It was a large lagoon island, and had several clusters of cocoa-nut trees upon it. We made its latitude to be 19 54' S., and the longitude of its centre to be about 144 54' W. I could see no signs of any inhabitants. We attempted to land in the boat ; but the send of the sea was so heavy on the coral reef that we feared staving her, and I was not sufficiently expert as a swimmer to trust myself through the breakers. From the disposition of the various groves of cocoa-nut trees, I imagine there must be natives on the island, although probably they were too frightened to show themselves ; but if there were, they could not have formed a very high opinion of our prowess on witnessing our abortive attempts to land. On the chart San Pablo is expressed as being "hereabouts;" and in 1835 the master of a French vessel fell in with an island D 4 40 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. corresponding in description with the one we saw. He gave its latitude 10 41' S., longitude 145 W. ; but as he worked by dead reckoning, and made the island in hazy weather, a few miles error in his calculation might be accounted for. The lagoon seemed very extensive, but I saw no appearance of any entrance to it for a vessel. Our agent has a chart in which this island is called Surry Island. Some months subsequently to our falling in with it, he also made it, and having thirty or forty divers on board, they dragged boats over the reef into the lagoon and explored it. A family was living on the island, whose history is remarkable. Many years ago, a middle-aged native belonging to one of the islands in close proximity to Chain Island was crossing from one island to an- other in a small canoe, accompanied only by his four young children, a son and three daughters. They were caught in a northerly gale, and, compelled to scud before it, were brought up by this island, which is the veritable Hereheretue (see entries March 9th, 1843, and June 2nd, 1844). The island proved uninhabited, and incapable of again leaving it, here this family remained. As the children reached puberty, the son took his sisters to wife, and had a family by all of them. Our agent offered to convey the whole community to any other inhabited island, and his proposal was gladly accepted. The father was now an exceedingly aged man, and the son a powerful man in the prime of life. Unfortunately, when these poor people, were thrown amongst the divers, the three sisters were unable to resist the force AN EPISODE RESPECTING HEREHERETUE. 41 or the blandishments of the strangers. A fierce mo- rosity came over both father and son, and they re- fused their food ; but in the night the tico attempted to capture the vessel. The years of the old man incapacitated him from much exertion, but the son defied the whole strength of the vessel, and darted his spear without quitting its hold at every one that came near him. He sheltered himself beneath one of the whale-boats turned bottom up on the deck, and when the divers succeeded in grasping the spear, their united force could not vrrest it from him without the risk of tearing out the side of the boat, and they were obliged to cut it. A strict watch was thereafter kept, and every means tried to conciliate the old man and his son ; but alas ! they availed not, both obstinately persisted in refusing all sustenance, and the old man died on the day they sighted the island they were bound for, and the son expired as they were conveying him ashore. The women and children were finally taken to Chain Island. February 24th. At dawn Hapa was visible, and on making the harbour I had a boat lovrered and pulled in. Since my last visit, three vessels had been there and engaged divers, now all returned. They spoke in very unfavourable terms of their em- ployers, particularly of the captain of a French vessel, who, they said, not only used to abuse them and knock them about, but absolutely half starved them ; and consequently they concealed from him all the pearls they could. I saw a beautiful one in their possession, but the native who offered it for sale had such notions of its value as to preclude my buying it. 42 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. I made a tender of property that to him must have appeared of great value ; but he shook his head, " he had been to Mangarava (Gambier's Islands), and there he learnt that for a very small pearl very large pay- ment was made ; and if I Avould go to Tahiti and load the vessel with goods and bring them to him, and then go again and return with another shipload, he would let me have the pearl." I declined robbing him, as I told him " I did'nt think he asked enough ; " but if he could make up his mind to receive three shiploads, we might come to terms. Content to be in posses- sion of his pearl, he tied it up in a corner of the dirty piece of rag that girded his loins and walked away. The next day being sabbath, and no trading allowed, I passed it on the island. All my divers came to see me, and one made me a present of a fine hog. They had given up all hopes of seeing me again, as immediately after my last departure they were visited with such dreadful weather, and of so long continuance, that all the low lands were under water, and every tree of any size was blown down, together with a great many of their houses. Their confidence in the vessel was greatly increased, and several volunteered to go to the Main with me. I took advantage of this favourable disposition, and carried three on board, one being a native of Ana. He was at home at once, and as unconcerned as any in the vessel. One of the Rapa natives also evinced no depression of spirits at quitting country and friends for the first time ; but the other, on the evening of February 26th, as the island fast receded from our view, and the shades of night were closing round us, LUDICROUS TRANSITION OF FEELING. 43 appeared to be for the first time struck with the novelty of his situation, and to be sensible of the step he had taken : suddenly his mirth forsook him, and sitting down on the main hatchway, with his head buried in his arms, he commenced bellowing like an ox. The ludicrous transition of his feelings so capsized my gravity, that I could scarcely speak to him for laughing ; but after I had bantered him a, little, and cheered him up with a few encouraging words, he became tolerably composed, and went below. 44 CHAP. IT. Arrive at Valparaiso. Letters from Tahiti. Some Account of the Troubles going on there. Get under weigh for that Island. Ambrose and Felix Islands. Cruize for Pilgrim's Island. No Signs of its Existence. Les four Facardines prove to be Faeatae, and uninhabited. An Interview with the Savages. Thrum Cap Island. At Bow Island hear of the friendly Captain of the Jules de Blosville. Sight the Two Groups. Just in time to be saved from the Wreck. Kemarks on the incertitude of the Position of the Paumutu Islands. Touch at Chain Island, and hear that Hostilities have commenced between the French and Tahitians. Off Tahiti fall in with a Whale-boat bottom up, and notice Signs of Disturbances on the Shore. Enter the Harbour. Narrative of Events that transpired during the Writer's absence. A Missionary shot. His Funeral. A Scene 011 board the Ketch Basilisk. "Britons never shall be Slaves." Constant Excitement and Alarm. Daring of a Native. Arrival of Lord George Paulet in the Carysfort. Depar- ture of Queen Pomare for the Leeward Islands. A Trip to collect the Effects abandoned by the Missionaries. Sail for Borabora with forty or fifty of the Queen's Adherents. Interview with the Queen at Raiatea. " Some hidden disappointment clings To all of man to all his schemes ; And life has little fair it brings Save idle dreams." April 4#7*. WITHOUT any thing worthy of note transpiring since my last entry, to-day we were once more at anchor in Valparaiso harbour. ASTOUNDING INTELLIGENCE FROM TAHITI. 45 Considerable improvements are manifest in the port ; the scene of the fire is entirely effaced, and the most that could be made of the ground has been done in covering it with substantial factories. My savages did not appear much struck with the wonders that greeted them ; their looks indicated no astonish- ment, nor did they utter any exclamations of surprise. After a few days I procured them lodgings ashore ; but although the quarters Avere comfortable, and they were treated kindly, they were eager to return to the vessel again : perhaps the reason was, that I was too much occupied to show them much attention, and they were surrounded by strangers to whom they could not make themselves understood. The climate moreover did not agree with them, and they were continually asking me when I intended sailing. May . Letters from Tahiti give us strange accounts of the proceedings of the French. The natives have at length been roused to action, and have quitted Papeeti for the mountains. Mr. Prit- chard has been made prisoner, and the quarters of Europeans are under martial law. "Whilst we were wondering at these statements, Mr. Pritchard himself made his appearance, and confirmed every thing that had been reported. Fortunately for the representative of the Queen of England, H. M. S.V. Cormorant had been sent to Tahiti to mark the proceeding ; and the French authorities, choosing to assume the belief that she was destined for the Feejee Islands, hinted to the captain that it would be advisable for him to continue his 46 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. mission, as his presence disturbed the tranquillity of the island. Anxious for the relief of Mr. Pritchard, who was kept a close prisoner in solitary confine- ment, and denied the privilege of landing at any of the Georgian or Society Isles, the captain of the Cormorant stipulated for Mr. Pritchard's liberty, and put to sea ; but riot until the Cormorant was outside the harbour was Mr. Pritchard taken on board. The following are the particulars that transpired. In consequence of a report that the natives were about to rise and murder all the foreigners but Mr. Pritchard, British consul, Mr. Collie, merchant, and Dr. Johnstone, British subjects, the authorities issued a public notice, the English translation of which was as follows : " French Establishments in the Ocean. " The Commandant for the time being of the Society Isles, declares what follows : "ART. 1. Until the return of His Excellency the Governor; the establishments of the bay com- prised between Cocoa-nut Point and the barracks of the Uranie, are declared in a state of siege. "ART. 2. All European and native residents must be within their houses at evening gun-fire, and not receive any person after that hour. " ART. 3. After evening gun-fire, until that of the morning, patrols commanded by the commissary of police can demand entrance or openly force and search any house that may appear suspicious, or in which they may suspect a meeting of persons other than those who inhabit the house. TROUBLES GOIXG ON AT TAHITI. 47 "ART. 4. At evening gun-fire all the fires in the native houses must be put out. "ART. 5. The boats of foreign ships, of what- ever nation, must have left the beach at evening gun-fire, taking with them their whole crew, and all passengers who have come on shore during the day. It is forbidden that any officer, sailor, or passenger, should sleep ashore. " ART. 6, From one gun-fire to the other, foreign ships are warned that, beside the shots they would expose their men to, in sending their boat ashore, the crew of the boat will be arrested, and the boat immediately sunk or destroyed. " ART. 7. If the patrols or rounds of gensdarme find in the houses w r hich they visit people who do not reside there, beside the arrest of these persons, and of the persons of the proprietors, and of the con- fiscation or immediate destruction of all wine, alcohol, or other spirits, the houses may be destroyed, and their materials transported at the convenience of the commandant for the time being, to construct guard houses, magazines, or useful shelter for the garrison. " ART. 8. Whether the establishment preserves its tranquillity, or that it should become disturbed during the night by any cause, it is expressly forbidden to Europeans and natives to leave their houses : those who do not conform to this order will expose themselves not only to arrest, but to the fire of the patrol. "ART. 9. The agents of the native police, whose duty it is to watch at night, shall come each night to the barracks of the gensdarme, which they will not 48 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. leave for their duty without a light, and accompanied by a French gendarme. "Alii. 10. The officers of the establishments whose duty or any other motive shall require their being out of their houses after gun-fire, must have a light. "ART. 11. At evening gun-fire, all boats or canoes belonging to residents or natives, must be hauled up at least ten times the length of the boat or canoe from high-water mark. Any boat or canoe found afloat after eight o'clock will be sunk or destroyed. "ART. 12. All whale-boats or canoes manned by natives, or containing any, which may come into the bay, or which may wish to leave during the day, must come to the station-house that they may be searched, to make sure that they do not contain wines, alcohol, munitions of war, arms, or any suspi- cious articles. "ART. 13. Boats of French men of war who wish to come ashore or remain there after gun-fire must be provided with a light, as well as the officers of the fleet. "ART. 14. It is forbidden to foreigners and natives to fire or explode boxes, whether by day or night, in the whole space in the state of siege. Transgressors will be arrested, their arms seized, and their houses searched. " The Commandant-particular of the Society Islands, (Signed) " D'AuBiGNY. "Papeeti, 22nd March, 1844." TROUBLES GOING ON AT TAHITI. 49 This act of M. D'Aubigny exhibits the cunning of a fox ; for not many hours after the place had been declared under martial law, the British consul was seized opposite his own door, torn from his family, and dragged to a block-house on the brow of the mountain, at the back of the settlement, and thrust through a trap-door into a dark dungeon; where, after he had been kept fifteen or sixteen hours without food or water, a document to the following effect was handed to him : " French Establishments in the Ocean. " A French sentinel was attacked in the night of the 2nd to the 3rd March. In reprisal, I have caused to be seized one Pritchard, the only daily mover and instigator of the disturbances of the natives. " His property shall be answerable for all damages occasioned to our establishments by the insurgents ; and, if French blood is spilt, every drop shall fall back upon his head. " The Commandant-particular of the Society Islands, (Signed) " D'AUBIGNY. "Papeeti, 3rd March, 1844." The charge is trumpery and transparent enough ; and Mr. Pritchard solemnly declares that it is utterly without foundation, as he was no more conscious of a native's attacking or being about to attack a French sentinel, than was the British consul in Valparaiso : besides there is only M. D'Aubigny's word for it, that an attack was made. No attempt was made to substantiate the charge against Mr. Pritchard, and VOL. II. E 50 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. after he had been kept for about a fortnight in solitary confinement, he was carried out to sea, and there placed on board the Cormorant, without having been allowed to approach his d welling to make any arrangement of his papers, or to provide in any way for the disposition of his property, or the welfare of his family. Sharp work this ! The captain of the Cormorant, not having the authority nor the power to carry things with a high hand, could only protest against such violence ; and, as the speediest way of obtaining redress, he deemed it the wisest plan to hasten with Mr. Pritchard direct to Valparaiso. The frigate Vindictive being on the very point of sailing for England, Mr. Pritchard was immediately accommodated by Commodore Nicholas with a pas- sage, that he might personally prefer his own com- plaint. I hear that Englishmen have been treated like dogs in Tahiti, but I presume this last out- rageous insult offered to England through one of her consuls will not be overlooked. May \4:th. With sundry misgivings, this after- noon we got under weigh for Tahiti. My doubts are, as to the prudence of taking down a cargo whilst such tyrannical measures are in force. The venture is precarious, but I solace myself with the thought that no business is carried on without risk. May 19th. At eight o'clock this morning an island was plainly visible in the distant horizon : we were going sometimes five and sometimes seven knots, but we were not abreast of it till six o'clock in the evening, so that it was discernible at least between fifty and sixty miles off. It is named on the chart AMBROSE AND FELIX ISLANDS. 51 Ambrose Island, and is in latitude 26 32' S. lon- gitude 80 11' W. : it is a small but very high clump, and at a distance resembles Isle Masafuera. We ran close alongside: it is steep and I should suppose about the size of Pitcairn's Island, but loftier, and of a more rugged and barren appearance. We could not distinguish a shrub on its scarped sides, and it is apparently tenantless and inaccessible. One or two rocks or islets off it on the eastern side are covered with birds' dung, which, at a distance, looks like snow; and I imagine the island to be the resort of innumerable sea birds, whose solitude has never been intruded on by the foot of man. Fifteen or twenty miles to the westward of Ambrose Island there is another small island, which is happy in the name of " Felix ; " it is also high land, but it dips in the centre like a saddle, and it has level land running from either point. An isolated rock, resembling a brig under full sail, shewed itself a considerable distance from the most northern point, and as it was getting too dark to distinguish objects, to avoid hidden danger we altered our course, and steered due north till well clear of the islands. June 2nd. We have had light and baffling winds since the last entry. To-day, being in the latitude and longitude of the position assigned to the " Pil- grim's Island" of Captain Delana, and not seeing it, we devoted our time till the sun went down in cruising O for it, but without success, and as there were no birds in our vicinity, and nothing in the appearance of the water to indicate the presence of land, we presume that Captain Delana was "taken in" by one E 2 52 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. of those nebulary illusions so frequently observed upon the ocean, and designated by sailors " Cape Fly-away." June 22nd. The weather we have experienced this year has been very different from what we experienced in the last at this season: then, from the latitude of 17 to 40 S., we encountered nothing but a succession of easterly and south-easterly gales, that drove us fearfully out of our course ; now we have had great difficulty in getting to the northward of the 25th degree, the prevalent winds having been light, and from the northward, westerly. After much tedious work, we gained the latitude of 20 S., and shortly after the easterly trades reached us. This day, at dawn, we descried an acquaintance in the dangerous archipelago, to wit, Les four Facardines, or Lagoon Island, and which my divers, on a former occasion of passing it, assured me was called Hereheretue. In the obscurity of the light we had passed to the southward of it, and when I observed it, it bore about six miles to the north-east of us. Being anxious to examine the island, and ascertain if it possessed, as the divers asserted, a good entrance for boats, and plenty of shell in its lagoon, but no inhabitants, we put about and stood for it. On standing in pretty close, we were undeceived as to its being uninhabited, as we saw two naked figures on the beach, apparently watching and accompanying our progress along the land. When about a mile from the south-western extremity, there appeared so little surf breaking on the reef, that I had a boat lowered ; and taking with me two of the kanakas from Rapa, a native of INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIVES OF FAEATAE. 53 Toobuai (a poor fellow I found in Valparaiso, desti- tute and abandoned), and two of the crew, we pulled for the spot where the two natives were now standing. Our approach was the signal for numerous other natives showing themselves, many being armed with spears. My kanakas became much agitated, and betrayed evident symptoms of fear, and to deter me from going further, assured me the men ashore were cannibals. They were all naked with the exception of the mara round their loins; and from their peculiar crouching stealthy gait, I was convinced they had seen little, if anything, of those who had held inter- course with civilised man. We had four muskets in the boat ; but as there were but six of us, I thought it advisable to hold a parley before trusting myself amongst their spears. We halted within hailing dis- tance, and interchanged halloes and signs of good will, and soon discovered that they spoke a dialect different from that known by our kanakas. After much entreaty by gesture on both sides for the one party to approach the other, I at length tore off a few yards of cloth, and rolling it up, threw it towards them, and then pulled away from the spot. Immediately six or seven plunged into the sea and swam for it ; but as it had sunk, I was fearful they had lost it, and that the disappointment would probably irritate them. On reaching the shore, however, such numbers flocked around the adventurers, and such shouts of admiration were elicited, that I saw all was right. I repeated this experiment once or twice, each time diminishing the space between us, till the confidence thus created induced two of them to swim away from the others E 3 54 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. and make signs for us to throw them cloth in ex- change for their maras; but they would come no nearer to the boat. Our own kanakas now became a little more assured, and rubbed up their memories. The island proved to be Faeatae, the identical island from which the fugitive native made his escape to Hao, as mentioned in my entry of May 6th, 1843. "Wishing to establish friendly and confidential re- lations between us (to speak in diplomatic style), I resolved in my own person to give the first proof of confidence ; and, much against the will and entreaty of my own fellows, I had the boat backed in and jumped ashore, carrying under my arm the remainder of the cloth, having previously ordered the boat to be pulled out of danger, and the men to be ready with their arms in case of treachery. I was immediately surrounded, many seizing hold of the cloth, whilst one grasped my jacket, another my shirt, a third was endeavouring to pick my pocket, and a fourth, in the attempt to deprive me of my cap, pulled it over my eyes. I shook myself free with an angry frown, and made signs of proceeding further inland, where I would share the cloth amongst them. Never did I see such savage eagerness: they all kept dragging at the cloth as I pushed my Avay to the spot I designed to reach, and trembled in the nervous anxiety to secure a portion ; and as soon as I began to unroll it, five or six would dig at it with their shells and grasp it in several places : so to prevent its being haggled to useless shreds, I got out my pocket-knife, and opening the blade with my teeth, DEPARTURE FROM FAEATAE. 55 continued severing it at a single cut, as they\ tore it from the roll. The knife seemed greatly to excite their wonder and desire ; and when the cloth was ex- hausted, their wonder continuing unabated, and reading in their eyes a too curious desire to examine my personal vestments, fearing also, lest their cupidity should tempt them to strip me, and that my objection to this skinning process might cause me to lose my life, I threw up my arms with ex- tended fingers, to intimate I had given all I had to give, and commenced retreating to the water's edge. Some of them made signs for me to accompany them to the north end of the island, and made me under- stand that there was a good entrance there for the boat ; but such unsatiated curiosity glared in their eyes, that I thought enough had been done for the opening of a friendly communication, and I only sought how to regain the boat in safety without betraying symptoms of alarm. They did not attempt to oppose my departure, but greatly to my relief and satisfaction, no sooner had I hailed the boat, and they saw I was bent on going, than they all left me but two, who, taking either hand, steadied me as I made my way through the water over the crumbling and uneven coral reef, and carefully assisted me into the boat ; and one of them, in bidding me fare- well, forced his mara upon me. The island lies nearly north and south, and is about ten miles long, by seven or eight broad. To judge by the chart, there are two other small islands off it ; but this is not correct. I saw some fine mother-of-pearl shell, and the natives described the lagoon as being E 4 56 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. full of it. Several clusters of cocoa-nut trees were grouped about, which struck me as being extraor- dinary in an uninhabited island when I first made it, on the 9th March, 1843. Its longitude on the west side we made to be 138 50' W., and its latitude 18 46' S., a position differing materially from that assigned it on the chart. The natives re- semble the Bow Islanders, but have a wilder and more savage air. Sufficient evidence of the truth of the tale related by the one that escaped to Bow Island existed in the maimed and dismembered figures we saw : one poor fellow had lost an arm, another an eye, and others bore cicatrised marks of frightful gashes ; and, supposing that most of the in- habitants were congregated to receive me, there can- not be a hundred left on the island. On getting into the boat, and finding myself once more safe, I felt desirous of astonishing the savages and convincing them of our power ; but I believe I astonished myself rather more than I astonished them, for in firing off the muskets, causing the balls to ricochet along the water, one of them which happened to be double- charged, by the violence of its concussion knocked me backwards over the boat's thwart. My extraordinary disappearance, or the report, alarmed the natives; the women and children all withdrew, and the men, seizing their spears, which they had previously re- signed to the women, watched our proceedings with the utmost jealousy. Nothing daunted by my clever exhibition, I again pulled towards them to renew our interlocution ; but their suspicions had been raised, and they receded inland to a cautious distance ; and, BOW ISLAXD. 57 as all our gesticulations and entreaties failed in re- moving their doubts, we returned to the vessel. Between three and four o'clock p. M. we were close to Thrum Cap Island, called also Isle des Lanciers : it is but a small spot, and although we coasted within half a mile from the south to the north-west extreme, no lagoon was visible from the mast-head. Two cocoa-nut trees were all that could be seen above the low intricate scrub which appeared completely to cover the island. We saw no signs of man or his habitations ; and its position, within a mile or two, is latitude 18 33' S., longitude 139 11' TV., being on the chart relatively in error with Faeatae. I do not know its native name, but presume it to be one of the group mentioned by the Faeatae native. June 23rd. At noon we were abreast the en- trance at Hao, and the captain and myself went ashore to greet our old friends and make them a few presents. The poor fellows seemed glad to see us, and were quite affected at our coming ashore merely to inquire after them. They told me the French " capitung " had been there, meaning the master of the "Jules de Blosville," and had only left the harbour two days previously. The Bow Islanders, on recognising him, refused to dive or to have any thing to do with him ; but determined to try the lagoon, he went to an island about sixty miles north- west from Hao, called by the natives Tanueri, on the chart " Resolution Island" and " San Simon," and there engaged men. They say he had not much cause to rejoice in his scheme, for after a stay of several weeks he succeeded in procuring but few 53 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. shell, and those of bad quality. As the Bow Is- landers are miserably poor, I think their refusal to dive for " capitung " indicated a keen sense of their appreciation of his treachery. They were extremely desirous to dive for me ; and when I told them I had visited Uaiatai, they were loud in declaring their readiness to accompany me thither on a diving expe- dition. The Uaiatai native was about twenty miles up the lagoon, and my visit being short, I could not see him. We took a series of sights at the morai for our chronometer ; and as it agreed to a mile in the lon- gitude of the place, we think the longitude we have given for Uaiatai and Thrum Cap is not far from being accurate. June 24th. We did not quit Hao till five o'clock last evening, and proceeding by the chart, we ex- pected to make the north end of the " Two Groups," called by the natives Marukan, well after daylight this morning. Our delay at Hao proved providential ; for although the wind shifted, and we were close hauled, the mate in charge of the watch, just as day began to break, sang out, " Land on the lee bow." The vessel was put round, and on gaining the deck I found that we were less than two miles from the breakers. The group is not only out in latitude and longitude, but it is very inaccurately delineated, in Arrowsinith's chart of the Low Islands. It is there represented as two islands, surrounded by a reef, with numerous rocks dispersed upon the latter, and between the islands and the outer ledge of coral ; when, in fact, there are two distinct and separate lagoon islands, bounded by narrow strips of sandy coral, in the same SIGHT THE "TWO GROUPS." 59 way as Hao Island, the passage between the two being sufficiently wide to beat a frigate through. It was the south island we were nearly scraping closer acquaintance with. For several miles on the east side of its southern boundary, the patches of vegetation are more connected than at Hao; but the herbage is of an uniform, dense, and stunted f5 ^ * growth, crowning ridges of snow-white sand, and but for which I expect we should have been lost, as the gleaming of the sand was what attracted the mate's notice. From the mast-head we could discern that the lagoon was studied with coral knolls, and on the west end of the south extreme we noted a solitary cluster of cocoa-nut trees ; but we could dis- tinguish no opening to the lagoon, nor did we see any inhabitants. In the course of the day we passed over the position assigned on the chart to " Los- tanges," known to the natives as Neingo Xeingo. When I first saw this island (see entry March 5th, 1842) we made it after hard beating; and as we had no sights for a day or two previous, I assumed that the chart was correct, although we remarked at the time, that the position differed from our reckon- ing ; but as we have found so many of the islands out in their longitude, and have always compared our watch with sights taken at the morai at Bow Island, the longitude of which was scientifically fixed by Captain Beechy, of H. M. S. Blossom, I have not the least doubt that the island seen by the mas- ter of the schooner (see entry May llth, 1843), and given by him as being in 18 46' S. latitude, and longi- tude 141 48', is one and the same with Lostanges; 60 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. particularly as the latitude agrees with that on the chart, and the error in longitude would be relatively with that of other islands placed too far to the west- ward : and it would not surprise me if it was here- after ascertained that the island seen by him in 19 34' S., and longitude 140 30' W., is none other than the " Litho Island" of the chart. June 29th. Went ashore at the weather-end of Chain Island, and was kindly greeted by many of my old divers ; but Tiemu my interpreter at Angatan was no more : he had been ailing nearly ever since I had parted from him, and his dying instructions to his wife were, that if ever I came again to the island she was to make me a present of certain pigs, which the poor woman did. Tiemu had only been dead about three weeks ; and his widow spoke of his kindness and affection to her, and of his good qua- lities as a friend, in such subdued and melancholy tones, as greatly to excite my sympathy. The natives generally wore a distrustful and mysterious air; they expressed great admiration at the articles I produced to purchase pigs, &c., but no pigs were forthcoming. After awhile the secret leaked out they had heard of hostilities having commenced be- tween the Tahitians and French (report goes that numbers have been killed on both sides), and they were hoarding all their resources for the purpose of buying muskets, ball, and powder. Not a pig could I obtain in barter, as I had no munitions of war to dispose of. June 30th. Visited the Lee settlement, but the same excitement prevailed ; and from some English SIGNS OF DISTURBANCES OFF TAHITI. 61 residents I gathered more details. That collision has actually taken place between the French and natives there can be little doubt ; but the statements are so conflicting, that my arrival in Tahiti will alone elucidate the truth. July 1 st. Off Tahiti, but it is too late to attempt getting in to night. July 2nd. Dawn saw us nearly abreast of Point Venus, becalmed. TVe noticed the French steamer lying at anchor, and shortly after observed her get her steam up, and a great deal of smoke ashore. Block houses are scattered over the heights in various directions, and the occasional booming of a gun inti- mates any thing but quietude and security. To ascertain how matters were, the calm continuing, I lowered a boat and pulled for the Taonoa passage. On the way we fell in with bad omen a whale- boat bottom up. Whilst examining it, we fancied the steamer was making towards us, and pulled into the passage without further delay. Two or three small vessels were lying at anchor, and from one of them an acquaintance hailed me, advising me not to land or to approach too near any of the vessels : and I then learnt that most of the foreign residents had removed their valuables and taken refuge afloat ; that the natives had collected in force, and that an attack was hourly expected to be made upon Tahiti. A skirmish had taken place the day previously, several killed on both sides, and one of the missionaries had been shot dead. Xo vessel, on coming into the harbour, was allowed to land any of her people or passengers without first reporting to 62 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. the Uranie frigate, under risk of being placed in quarantine for an indefinite period, and the chances of exposure to other pains and penalties. Returned to the schooner, picking up the capsized boat on the way ; and as the calm continued, I accompanied the captain to the Uranie, where, having reported our- selves, we were allowed to go ashore. The place \vas in the highest state of excitement, almost every foreigner who had any thing to lose had deposited his valuables, for security, on board the shipping in the harbour ; and at sun-down they used to abandon their dwellings and resort to the same refuge. The little ketch Basilisk was still protecting the qiieen, and affording what assistance she could to British subjects. But I shall now narrate the pro- ceedings, as I gathered them from the missionaries and others, eye-witnesses of the various transactions during my absence. After the seizure and confinement on board the French frigate of three chiefs, who were supposed from their attachment to the queen, to be prejudicial to the interests of the French, attempts were made to capture four other leading Tahitians, by name Fa- riahu, Taviri, Fanauve, Horoi, and a female of some influence. Horoi was staying at Taravau (the isthmus is so called), and a message was dispatched to him requiring him to come and acknowledge allegiance to the French governor. The old chief refused to comply with the mandate : he said, "that those who had sent to him were foreigners, and he knew them not ; it was well for them to remain in peace where TAHITI DURING THE WRITER'S ABSENCE. 63 they were, and not to trouble him, he was living upon the land of his fathers, which had descended to them from generation to generation, and he wished to reside in peace ; he would not go to the French, and if the French came to disturb him, as he could not resist them, he would fly." Upon this a small vessel, with some soldiers, was sent to apprehend him : they did not succeed of course ; but the natives began to murmur, and to whisper at this intrusion of armed men, on all parts of the island, men armed for the avowed purpose of seizing their chiefs ; and one evening a party of them observing some soldiers who were ashore on leave, taking wanton liberties with their w r omen, one of the natives, who, it was stated, was excited with liquor at the time, snatched up a musket and fired upon them. This was like apply- ing a match to the train : all the natives within hearing rushed at the sound to support each other ; and in the impetuosity of the onslaught some of the soldiers were killed, and the rest were driven from the shore. This was the first commencement of actual hostilities on the part of the natives. They had borne with much in patience, and had suffered in silence at command of their chiefs, still hoping for the interference of Britain, or that the magnanimity and sense of justice in Louis Philippe would point out the wrong they were sustaining, and cause him to send them relief; but now, in an unguarded mo- ment, they had turned upon their oppressors. They felt they had compromised themselves, and through- out the island at once prepared to act upon the offensive and defensive. Nor were the French back- 64 ROVJNGS IN THE PACIFIC. ward with their measures. The governor ordered the steamer to make a cruise round the island, and to fire indiscriminately upon the land. The casual- ties resulting from this measure was the death of an old woman and two children, and the maiming of two or three others. On the governor's being remonstrated with at the useless cruelty of such a course, his reply was, " that it was merely done for the purpose of intimidating the natives, for they were like dogs give them a beating, and they will lie down at your feet." The sagacity of this remark was shown to be as profound as that made by Monsieur D'Aubigny, when he asserted that " Mr. Pritchard was the only daily mover and instigator of the dis- turbances of the natives." A party of the French, protected by the guns of the steamer, then marched along the shore, setting fire to all the houses in the vicinity ; and the mission- aries at the various stations, taking alarm, abandoned them to their fate, leaving their own dwellings and effects exposed to plunder and destruction. The na- tives at Hidia, seeing that their teacher had fled from them, observed, " that it was better for them to take his property than leave it to be burnt or plundered by the French ;" and accordingly they stripped his house of every thing, carrying the goods to the mountains. But, subsequently, when they discovered that the troops had passed on without committing the mis- sionary residence to the flames, such of the property as had not been consumed or destroyed was brought back again. These and similar proceedings had by this time induced most of the natives to join the encamp- BATTLE BETWEEN FRENCH AND TAHITIANS. 65 ment in the mountains, but a party assembled near the isthmus had resolved to encamp themselves at a place called Mahina, and give the Frenchmen battle. Mahina lies to the eastward of Point Venus, which may be looked upon as the north point of Tahiti, and is a small plain facing the sea, walled in by mountains in the rear, open to the line of coast trending easterly, but protected on the Point Venus side by conically shaped hills. The poor fellows dug trenches, and threw up sand-banks to protect them from the shot and shell of their powerful adversary ; but they overlooked the possibility of the hills to their west being escaladed with field-pieces, which would entirely command their position, and neglected pro- viding against surprise from this quarter. The French landed under the guns of the frigate, which continued to pour grape-shot and shell amongst the natives, who, nothing daunted by these terrific engines of destruc- tion, assailed their foes with great bravery ; and it is asserted that some without arms rushed madly on the attacking force, and succeeded in wresting the bayonets from their muskets, and with their own weapons causing" several to bite the dust. If the natives, instead of hastening to meet the French, had waited to receive them on the plain, a different termination would have perhaps been given to the day ; for as the French retreated from the impetu- osity of their assault, the shot and shell from the frigate came to their aid, causing the natives in their turn to retreat; but when they sought the shelter of their trenches, they found the hills to their left in possession of the enemy, who commenced VOL. II. F 66 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. playing upon them with field-pieces. Under these circumstances they abandoned their defences and took to the bush, calling upon the French to follow ; but they, with true appreciation of the politeness, declined the invitation. Nothing was gained by this victory, but a useless waste of blood on both sides, as the French could not follow it up, and no single good was achieved unless they had in view the extermination of the natives ; but even with this end in contemplation they paid dear for its attain- ment, as they lost in the engagement many more lives than they contrived to destroy. The native loss ascertained from themselves was sixty-nine killed on the field (including the wounded that were mercilessly bayoneted in the trenches from their inability to fly), and one who subsequently died from his wounds. The French they assert lost more than double this number, but they only confess to twenty-five killed and fifty-four wounded : be that as it may, a large launch load of the dead, to save burial, w T as carried out to sea and sunk ; but after a day or two the bodies escaped from their confinement, and the shore became strewed with putrescent corpses. Finding it idle to think of exchanging musket balls for grape, and canister shot, and shells, the natives withdrew to the mountains. But I must not omit to notice the feats of daring to which their exigency drove them. Being badly off for powder, and discovering the secret of the shells' explosion, they used to watch for their alighting, when they fearlessly seized them and cut off the fusees ; and they assert they are better off for am- munition now than they were before the fight. The A MISSIONARY SHOT. 67 shells themselves, directed against them with a far less hospitable intent, they have converted into drinking-cups. Their intrepidity and daring must have mightily undeceived the French, as, previous to this encounter, an official was heard to declare, "give him fifty men and he'd march through Tahiti." Penetrating observer ! the forbearance and long- suffering'of the simple and kind-hearted natives were looked upon as currish fear ; but the delusion is for ever dissipated, as the timid Tahitians have shown, that as to mere manhood, they are more than a match for the best and bravest of the French. The French, after this engagement, were kept in continual excitement, and their steamer constantly on the move ; and the day preceding that of my arrival, a party of soldiers, under command of the governor himself, were marched to Point Yenus, intelligence having been given by a renegade native that his countrymen were assembling in that quarter. The governor proceeded to the house of the Eev. Mr. M'Kean, the missionary station beyond Point Yenus, and remained some tune conversing Avith him and another of the missionaries who happened to be present, endeavouring to persuade them to take charge of a drunken French soldier, who could neither walk nor keep seat on horseback. A boat was in readiness to convey the reverend gentlemen to Papeeti, and the governor urged them to take his man with them, saying, " he knew that the natives would kill him if he was left behind, and he would be no trouble to them, as he was so drunk he would lie in the bottom of the boat like a log." Induced by r 2 68 KOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. these representations, the missionaries gave their consent, and the drunken man was brought and laid down inside the fence of their premises. The noise of firing being heard, the governor mounted his horse to join his party ; but ere doing so, he rode to the fence and again called out to Mr. M'Kean, re- peating his injunctions respecting the care of his man. "With eager politeness Mr. M'Kean hastened to the end of his verandah, and raised his hat in complying acknowledgment ; and as the governor rode off, and Mr. M'Kean was in the act of re-entering his house, a musket ball struck him at the back of his head, behind the ear, and the unfortunate gentleman fell, never to rise again. He breathed heavily for six or seven minutes and expired without uttering a syl- lable : the ball did not pass through the head, but lodged below the socket of the eye. This lamentable event was supposed to have been occasioned through the apprehensive policy of the French, for the com- manding officers, meeting no opposition, yet fearing an ambuscade, ordered their men, as they advanced, to fire rio-ht and left into the guava bushes. The noise being O O O heard by two old men, who were prevented by their infirmities from joining the encampment, but who con- ceived that their countrymen were suddenly attacked, they speedily collected between eighty and ninety boys and young men, not of age to be termed war- riors, and with twenty-one muskets and rude wea- pons hastily assumed for the moment, they attacked and routed the governor's party of 120 men, well equipped and appointed, leaving several of them dead on the ground. It is not known from which party the shot came that slew Mr. M'Kean, but as he was "BRITONS NEVER SHALL BE SLAVES." 69 in a line with the advancing troops, it is conjectured that it was fired by a native, although no one grieves more for the unhappy occurrence than the natives. That night the house of the slain gentleman was converted into an hospital and barracks for the French soldiery ; and, the usual consequences attendant on military occupation followed, in the destruction of the live stock on the premises, and the appropriation of any convenient articles of property. It was the morning after this sad event that I entered the harbour ; and I found that my partner, with several of the missionary residents and others, had gone in the boat of the ketch Basilisk to pay the last tribute of respect in their power to offer to the deceased. Shrouded in its bloody vestments, the body was committed to the dust ; and as the party returned from their melancholy task, I had the unspeakable mortification and surprise at beholding them,' on their reaching the Basilisk, put into quarantine, and the yellow flag, by a mandate from the officer commanding the French frigate Uranie, run up to mast-head of the ketch. ]\Iy amazement was only exceeded by my indignation. What indignity will be offered next? thought I; and as I had already undergone a decent spell on board ship, I did not wish to repeat the dose by venturing to the ketch ; but I could not be restrained from jumping into a canoe, and pulling to within speaking distance, to learn the cause of this most extraordinary proceeding. I could obtain no information at the time, the singular posi- tion all on board were placed in having created a complete revulsion of feeling ; and the prisoners F 3 70 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. crowding the decks of the little vessel amidst con- vulsions of laughter did nothing but banter me, daring me to come on board, and shouting at the tops of their lungs, " Rule Britannia," giving par- ticular emphasis to " For Britons, never, never, never, shall be slaves ! " The scene was ludicrous enough, though morti- fying ; and I was constrained to join both in the song and the laughter. This disgraceful state of things did not long continue, as, on the return of the go- vernor in the steamer, he immediately, and without communication from the frigate, despatched the com- mander of the steamer to remove the quarantine, and to say, "that those ladies and gentlemen who had been confined to the vessel were at liberty to go ashore;" plainly showing, that he, at all events, did not approve of this attempt to cast contempt upon the British flag when that flag was left defenceless. On the prisoners being liberated, I was informed that an Englishman who had been present at the funeral entered a boat with the intention of returning to Moorea, and was about leaving by the Taonoa passage ; but seeing a boat approaching with Belgian colours flying, which he mistook for French, and per consequence becoming jealous of her intentions, he altered his course and shaped it for Papeeti. In passing the Basilisk her commander hailed him, and learning his purpose, he recommended him to avoid getting into trouble by first reporting himself to the Uranie ; and for thus endeavouring to preserve peace and good will, he had the humiliation EXCITEMENT AND ALARM OF THE FRENCH. 71 of submitting to orders on hoard his own ship from a commander under the French flag an event not of common occurrence to our navy I believe. From this date to the 12th the French were kept in constant excitement and alarm : the drum was con- tinually beating to arms, and the musket was the companion of all engaged in the French interests ; the soldiers were harassed off their legs , and it was apparent that, notwithstanding their frigates and their steamer, the natives had it in their power so to fatigue and wear them out, that with any one to guide or direct them, they could render French possession so ticklish and unprofitable, that evacuation would not only be a preferable alternative, but a step to be rejoiced at. Rumours of an attack would be brought from Port Venus, and scarcely had the troops marched half way, when they would be coun- termanded, and ordered to repel an irruption of the natives from Puanania, a place miles in an opposite direction. Night and day there was no peace for them; and from their jaded and exhausted condition, a few well organised and resolute men could easily have cut them to pieces. On one occasion, when the governor had been Avith the steamer to fire on the insurgents, as he calls them, at Papenoo (an en- campment of natives nine or ten miles to the east- ward of Port Venus), and the troops that had gone by land were marched back again, they had the satisfaction of seeing the houses and chapel of the Romish priests on fire, and, instead of taking the rest they so much needed, of being ordered to a fresh scene of attack. They were directed to " fall in " F 4 72 EOVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. rank and file in front of our house, and many of them were so completely exhausted that they rapped their own heads with their muskets in going through the evolution of shouldering them. One cannot but sympathise and feel for the poor fellows, who do but obey their superiors' orders. Pomare entreats her people to remain tranquil : this damps their energies in a measure ; otherwise, were they to persist in the game of finding the troops incessant occupation, there is little doubt it would incite them to mutiny, as they are worn out with fatigue and bad living, and it is not a war from which they can hope to derive much honour or promo- tion. A few days after the burning of the priests' houses, a party of natives came over the hills from Puanania ; and under the guns of the frigate and the battery ashore, one of them came down to the beach with the Tahitian standard, and waved defi- ance. A gun was discharged at him from the frigate, and two or three were discharged at him from the battery ; still he continued to wave the flag, and point with his hand in the direction of the hills. Subsequently he planted the flag upon the beach, and deliberately rejoined his companions. It is by no means a pleasant subject of reflection, that this gallant and confiding people are abandoned to the chances of annihilation by superior force and strategy. July \Zth. This has been a day of qualified rejoicing for Queen Pomare. H.M-S. Carysfort arrived off the harbour, and her captain, Lord George Pauletj entered in his boat : he brought the news ARRIVAL OF LORD GEORGE PAULET. <3 that Louis Philippe did not recognise the seizure of Tahiti, and wished merely to preserve the protecto- rate. No official intelligence to this effect had reached the governor ; and after several interviews with Lord Paulet, it was agreed that Pomare should be allowed to go to one of the Leeward Islands, there to remain unmolested until definite instructions arrived from Europe. Letters were dismissed by Pomare to her various chiefs, apprising them of these particulars, and beseeching them to remain in peace till affairs were determined on, for good or evil. The French looked rather astounded at this unex- pected denouement ; and the governor, with a shrug and a smile, remarked, that he was only placed in a similar position to that formerly occupied by Lord Paulet with relation to the Sandwich Islands : but his lordship observed, and with justice, that their situations would not bear comparison, as the cession of the Sandwich Islands to his lordship, was the voluntary act of the king, and made with the full understanding that the act was a conditional one, subject to the approval or disapproval of his own sovereign ; whereas Governor Bruat, on his own authority, had proceeded ruthlessly to take violent possession, not only of the island, but of the queen's houses and private property, ejecting her therefrom, and enforcing his authority by bloodshed and slaughter. Commander Hunt, of the Basilisk, was ordered to get his vessel ready to bear Pomare and her suite on board the Carysfort, it not being Lord Paulet's intention to let the Carysfort enter the harbour, although determined that she should 74 ROVINGS IN THE PACIFIC. have the gratification of carrying Poraare once more to some spot where she could remain without being exposed to dread or insult. July 14^. The gallant little Basilisk put to sea, to deliver up the royal freight of which she had had custody for nearly six months, Pomare was considerably affected at parting with her protectors, but much of her feeling must naturally have been absorbed in the delightful idea of being again free to walk the earth. Pomare's fortunes are another instance of the justness of the observation. " When things are at the worst, they sometimes mend." She had resisted all the entreaties and specious offers of the French to induce her to trust herself to their honour, determining to be aut C