Twenty years before the mast/Chapter X
CHAPTER X.
The Fiji Islands were discovered by Tasman in 1643. There are about one hundred and fifty islands in the group, sixty of which were then inhabited by one hundred and fifty thousand cannibals.
During the forenoon of May 8th we came to anchor in the harbor of Levuka, island of Ovolau. Thousands of natives lined the beach, watching our manoeuvres with their usual curiosity. When all hands, dressed in their white frocks and trousers, mounted the rigging, ran up aloft, and lay out on the yards to furl the sails, the wondering natives screeched like so many hyenas, and performed such antics that we could hardly believe they belonged to the human race.
We soon had a visit from Tanoa, the king of these cannibal islands, with several of his chiefs, and an American sailor by the name of David Whippy, who had run away from his ship on account of ill treatment, and had lived on this island eighteen years, acting as interpreter for the king. They were nearly naked, after the native fashion. The king wore a scanty maro about his loins, with the long ends hanging down in front and behind. He had a large turban of white tapa cloth upon his head, and a mother-of-pearl shell as large as a dinner-plate, beautifully "crimshonned" or carved, hung from his neck upon his breast. Above the elbows he wore armlets made from tortoise-shell. His hair was so bushy that it would have been impossible to cover it with a bushel basket. His face and long beard were bedaubed with rancid cocoanut oil and ivory-black, which gave him a very hideous appearance. I was informed that the natural hue of his beard and mustache was quite
FIJI DRUMMER.
gray. From his begrimed look he had obtained the sobriquet of "Old Snuff." He was about sixty-five years of age and somewhat bent, making him appear much older. His features were rather inclined to the European mold, bearing not the slighest resemblance to the negro. He spoke through his nose, or, rather, as if he had lost his palate. His body, like those of all his people, was very hairy. He was about six feet in height, slenderly built, with small, piercing, black eyes. He looked very cunning, and every inch a savage. As he and his suite came over the gangway and stood on deck, the ship’s pet, Sydney, a beautiful, large Newfoundland dog which had been presented to the commodore by the governor of Australia, got sight of him. The chief’s appearance did not make a very favorable impression on Sydney, for the dog kept in front of him, growling and looking savagely at him. When within a few feet of the dog the king took the front end of his maro and shook it at him. The dog grabbed it and tore it entirely from his body. The king was so frightened that he fell on the deck. One of the quartermasters seized the dog by the collar, and, by order of the commodore, put him in the brig.
I believe Sydney was the first dog that the king had ever seen. He soon recovered from his fright, and, with his suite and Mr. Whippy, was shown over the ship. He took a great fancy to the ship’s wheel, and wanted the captain to make him a present of it. He was very much astonished when told that we steered the ship with it. When he saw the battery he wanted to know if the guns were not black dogs. Two of the guns were fired off, double shotted. Seeing the balls skip over the surface of the water and throw up its spray into the air, he was greatly surprised, and requested that no more guns be fired. They were much pleased with the ship and everything they saw. Lunch was served for them in the wardroom, of which they partook most heartily, evidently enjoying it much, especially the nuts and raisins and some old Dutch cheese. The military exercises of our marines, their marching, counter-marching, halting, and forward marching, to the music of fife and drum, and the commands to shoulder, carry, present, and ground arms, highly delighted them. After remaining on board several hours they were given presents of whale’s teeth, axes, accordions, boxes of Windsor soap, plane-irons, jews’-harps, red paint, and large, bright, brass buttons. They then departed for the shore, greatly pleased with their visit and presents.
The next day, as usual on our arrival at any prominent place, we erected our observatory. We chose a hill about a quarter of a mile from the beach. The observatory consisted of several portable houses, built in New York. The pendulum house was about twenty feet square, and eighteen feet in height. The transit and telescope buildings were somewhat smaller. These, with six tents, made quite a village, and greatly astonished the natives.
May 9. Two small trading sloops arrived to-day, the Who'd Have Thought It and the Nonesuch. They were tenders to the ship Leonidas, Captain Eggleston, which was at another island. The Leonidas was a South Sea trader, for tortoise-shell and beche de mer. Among the runaway English convicts here was a short, red-headed, wrinkled old Irishman, by the name of Paddy Connell. He had a long gray beard, which hung down to his waist. He had lived on these islands forty years, and in dress and looks strongly resembled these Fiji cannibals. He said it seemed to him sometimes as though he was living out of the world; but that he was very happy, for he had five wives and forty-eight children.
Here, as at all the islands we visited, our boats, the Greyhound, Lion, Fox, Turtle, Nightingale, Lizard,
UPPER TOWN OR SOMER-SOMER.
Leopard, Elephant, White Handkerchief, and Bear, and the two cutters were fitted out and provisioned with eight or ten days’ rations in order to survey the different islands, reefs, and bays.
No doubt it would sound odd to a countryman to hear the boatswain and his mates blow through their silver calls (whistles), which are about four inches long, and sing out, one after the other, "Away, there, you Leopards, away!" "You Foxes, away!" "You Lions, away!" "Come, hurry into your boats!" "Away, there, you Elephants!" "You Turtles, and White Handkerchiefs, away!" It might be that some of the boats' crews were down on the berth deck, and then it was, "Hurry up, there, you Penguins, you Nightingales, you Albatrosses, and man your boats!" There were two officers and five men attached to each boat while we were surveying.
The following were the orders given by the commodore to the officers of the boats:
1. You will avoid landing anywhere on the mainland or islands, unless the latter should he uninhabited.
2. Every precaution must be observed in trading with these natives; and no native must be suffered to come alongside, or near our boats, without our boarding-nettings being up. All trading must be carried on over the stern of the boat, and your arms and howitzers ready to repel attack.
3. You will avoid any disputes with them, and never be off your guard, or free from suspicion. They are in no case to be trusted.
4. Your two boats must never be separated at night, but be anchored as close together as possible.
These and other instructions were often given while standing in the bow of the boat, heaving the lead, or resting on our oars while the officers were measuring base by sound.
When looking down into the water upon the coral reefs, we could see coral shrubs of pink, yellow, white, green, orange, — in fact, of all colors, forms, and sizes. There were also many shell-fish; and everywhere beautiful fishes were swimming among the coral branches. It was amusing to watch the shell-fish as they crawled from their shells, and then dragged them behind. Beautiful orange-colored cowries, harp-shells, pearl oysters, conchs, and many other odd-shaped shells and fishes were plainly visible. There seemed to be continual war among these finny tribes and testacea in the midst of their fairy-like regions. Sometimes a small fish would swim along over a shell-fish, when the latter would seize it and draw it into his shell. When a lamprey eel or a shovel-nosed shark made his appearance, which was very often, every living thing disappeared in an instant. The shell-fish suddenly crawled back into their shells; all the other fishes quietly hid away among the coral bushes; and the turtles drew their heads and feet well into their shells. We often saw small, ravenous, cowardly sharks gulp down many small fishes, more beautiful than butterflies or humming-birds. Frequently a lamprey eel would attack a large conch, tear the fish from its shell and devour it.
One morning our second officer, Midshipman Thompson, espied a beautiful Venus shell lying at the bottom, on the weather side of the boat. He partially undressed, and was in the attitude of diving into the water for the shell, when a white, deep-sea shark, fourteen feet long, swam from under the boat. The sudden appearance of the shark so completely paralyzed Mr. Thompson with fear that he fell down in the boat unconscious, and it was some time before consciousness could be restored. The white shark is worshiped by the natives as one of their gods. They are considered sacred and are never harmed by them.
On the morning of the 18th of June David Bateman, of the brig Porpoise, breathed his last and his spirit took its flight to God who gave it. He was buried in our
CANNIBAL CHIEF, VENDOVI.
small garden on the hill, close by the observatory, with martial honors. The impressive burial service of the Episcopal Church was read by our chaplain; three volleys were fired over the grave by the marines; the earth thrown in, and the grave filled up; thus the melancholy scene was closed.
While the Peacock was at Rewa surveying the island, Captain Hudson captured the celebrated chief, Vendovi, who in 1834 massacred eleven of the crew of the American brig Charles Dagget of Salem, Captain Batcheller commander. The Dagget's boat went ashore early one morning, and the crew had proceeded half-way up to the beche de mer house when they were suddenly surprised by a party of these cannibals who had been lying in ambush. They were seized and firmly held, while the chief, Vendovi, knocked them on the head with his handy billy, a small war-club made of iron-wood. This horrible crime was committed in order to get possession of the trading or Jew box, containing cheap trinkets, and some hatchets, plane-irons, etc. The Dagget was a South Sea trader, for sandal-wood, tortoise-shell, and beche de mer, which were taken to China and traded for teas and silks. Nearly all the Pacific and Chinese trade carried on in this country eighty years ago was confined to Salem. The sandal-wood referred to is a deliciously fragrant, scented wood. The Chinese burn it in their temples as incense to their gods. The beche de mer, or sea-slug, is a sort of round jelly-fish, from six to twelve inches long, and two in diameter, and of a reddish- brown color. They are found in great abundance on the coral reefs. The natives fish for them at night by the light of the moon, and with torches. These fish hide themselves during the day in the crevices of the coral reefs. They sally forth at night and creep out upon the reefs like caterpillars. After they are gathered they are thoroughly dried, or cured, and then resemble a well-fried sausage. The Chinese make an excellent soup of them; the natives eat them raw.
This town, or koros, as it was called, contained about fifty houses. They were built of the same material as those at the other islands, but were differently constructed: the roofs being very steep, and the ridge-pole projecting at each end, often ornamented with shells.
FIJI CHIEF, TUI LEVUKA.
This koros was situated in a grove of mangrove bushes, surrounded by many bread-fruit, cocoanut, and banana trees. The interior of their houses was kept quite clean. The house of the chief, Tui Levuka, was a large, barn-like structure, nearly two hundred feet square. The roof was very high and peaked, and there were two narrow openings, or doorways, one at each end. Several of us entered it one day, and found it to contain but one large room. The floor was partially covered with mats and tapa. In the center, at one end of the room, was a large pit, lined with stones, where they built their fires and did their cooking. It was inclosed by seven posts, about six feet high. The roof was covered with the leaves of the pandanus. Earthen jars, holding from one to eight gallons, oval at the bottom, and with a small opening at the top, together with a lot of junk-bottles and drinking- vessels were hanging from the posts and the roof. These utensils were made at the pottery by the women. Nearly all the labor, both indoors and out, was performed by the women. They were kept in subjection and in a state of great degradation, and were often tied up and flogged. They were the abject slaves of their lords and masters, who, if not at war with some neighboring tribe, might be found in their huts or in some shady nook asleep or telling stories. Of the latter amusement they were very fond, especially if the stories were false. It might be truly said that the one who could tell the biggest lie was held in the highest esteem by them.
Nearly all their food was cooked in the jars of which we have previously spoken. A very little water is put in the jar with the food to be cooked; the mouth is then stuffed with green plantain leaves, and the jar placed on the fire. Some of these jars were held sacred, and nothing but human flesh was cooked in them. These were kept in the mabure, or spirit houses. These cannibals considered the fleshy parts of the arms and legs the most palatable portions of the human body.
Another method of cooking human bodies was this: By means of pointed sticks a large trench was dug in the earth. This trench was then lined with stones, and had a fire built in it. After the stones had become sufficiently heated, the bottom was covered with many layers of banana and plantain leaves. Three human bodies were then brought from the mabure house and laid in the trench upon the thick bed of leaves, together with some hogs, and a large quantity of yams and taro. The whole was then covered with large quantities of leaves, and a fire built on top. It is a great cause for gratitude that the light of Christianity has penetrated to these dark regions, and that such horribly barbarous customs have ceased to exist.
A favorite pudding among these natives was called okalolos, of which they made several kinds. The following is the recipe: Half a calabash was first lined with a few plantain leaves. A layer of the golden banana cut in slices was placed on the bottom, and on this was laid another layer of a different flavor, and so on. The meat of the cocoanut, which is, when ripe and freshly gathered, as soft as jelly, was placed between the alternate layers, which were continued until the dish was filled. The milk of the cocoanuts was then poured over the whole, and then the ends of the plantain leaves, with which the dish was lined and which had projected above the top of the dish, were gathered up and tied around with a string taken from the bark of a tree, after which the jar was placed in the trench, under the leaves, to steam. It takes about four hours to cook a dinner in this manner, but these Fiji okalolos were steamed in about thirty minutes, and I can testify that they far excelled all the cakes, pies, and puddings which I ever ate elsewhere. I have eaten suet and minute puddings, English plum duffs, Jennie’s kisses, "my Mary Ann’s cookies," angel cakes, Satan’s best cakes, charlotte russes, pies of all kinds, and many other dishes with euphonious names, but the Fiji okalolos, or fruit puddings, leave all of them far "astern."
While here, we visited the chief Tui Levuka. One day, while at his house, I walked on my hands, turned several hand-springs and two or three somersets, that I learned while attached to the circus. The old chief and Tanoa the king, who was a guest of the chief, were greatly surprised, and always afterwards pointed to me as a spirit.
One afternoon we were invited to the mabure, or priest’s house. These houses were about twelve to fifteen feet square, with the roof about thirty feet. They are built on a mound or a pile of stones. It is here they hold their councils and entertain strangers.
On our arrival we were assigned seats in front of the mabure, on some stones. Presently a big, muscular native made his appearance from behind a high rock, with something under his arm which resembled a short hog-trough, which he dropped on the ground. A group of one hundred young Fiji women, whose heads were profusely adorned with orange blossoms, were seated upon the ground. When the native arrived in front of the group he commenced beating on the trough, or Fiji drum, with a small war-club. It produced a loud, hollow sound, anything but musical. Then the orchestra, consisting of a group of maidens, commenced to play; some on two joints of small bamboo, with two holes at one end, two in the middle, and one at the other end. To this latter the left nostril was applied. Others had four or five joints of large bamboo, opened at each end, which they beat upon with a small stick. Some beat two sticks together, and some clapped their hands to make a sharp sound, while others gave a sort of grunt down in their throats, which produced a sound similar to that of a weak-toned bass drum. Occasionally the musicians would sing a monotonous song on one note, the bass alternating with the melody. The whole produced discordant sounds, which could hardly be called music, and I fear would fail to be appreciated by a Boston audience. They kept excellent time, however.
While the musicians were playing, the major drummer made his appearance from behind the huge rock. He was completely covered with green and dried leaves. Vines and creepers were bound about him in every way. On his head he wore a mask resembling a boar’s head, painted red on one side and black on the other. His baton was a huge war-club. He would turn around at times and "present arms" with it; then toss it up in the air end over end, and catch it as it came down. His movements were quite similar to those of our major drummers. He was greatly applauded by the spectators.
He was followed by a procession of natives, all dressed in gala attire, wearing white salas and new masi. The chiefs had wreaths of natural flowers and vines twined around their turbans, which gave a pretty effect. Their faces were painted in various styles, some wholly vermilion, some half vermilion, the other half black, with white or orange-colored noses; others with white or black faces, and red or yellow noses. As they entered the area, their progress became slower. They walked six abreast, taking three measured steps, then halted.
FIJI MAJOR DRUMMER.
The first three divisions then bent forward, and when they straightened up the eighteen in the rear would bend down, and so on, till all had gone through the bending process. At the close of each strain of music they placed their war-clubs in a variety of positions, as our soldiers do their guns when training; such as "shoulder," "carry," and "present arms." When all had entered the square, they bowed very gracefully to us, and then suddenly became quite violent in their actions, jumping up and down, treading the ground furiously, brandishing their war-clubs, and all of a sudden gave some of the most unearthly yells imaginable. We were all well armed, kept a bright lookout, and feared no danger. Finally they gave a tremendous "wha-hoo," then fell to the ground and kissed it. This ended the Fiji club dance.
John Sac, or Tuatti, our New Zealand shipmate, then danced his country’s dance, which was one of great energy and violence, and greatly astonished the Fiji natives. After this there was a "love dance" by the young women musicians, which consisted simply in bowing very prettily to us, bending and twisting the body backward and forward, and throwing the arms about, without moving the feet. The performance closed by a loud clapping of the hands. This ended the matinee.
The natives were very fond of sports and games. The girls played vimoli, which was performed by tossing up and keeping five or six oranges circling around the head. Another game, called libigilla, was wrapping a girl up in a mat, and carrying her to another to guess her name. If she guessed wrong, a forfeit of yams and taro must be given for a treat. The boys pitched quoits with a mother-of-pearl shell, and also played at hide-and- seek. Another of their games was called vitaki, which consisted in throwing a stick from a length of bamboo. The one who could throw it the highest or farthest was considered the winner.
The Peacocks treated the natives to a regular, old-fashioned negro entertainment. Juba and Zib Coon danced and highly delighted them, and the Virginia reel set them wild. Then followed a novel representation of a donkey. Two of the Peacock's crew stood back to back, and were tied loosely together about the waist. Iron belaying-pins were put into their hands, which served for feet. They then bent forward so they could strike the deck with the iron pins. A Mackintosh blanket was thrown over them, a pair of old shoes served as ears, and a ship’s swab for tail. When this donkey, with his comical looking rider, Jim Crow Rice, on his back, made his appearance from between two of the guns which had been screened off with a tarpaulin, they were frightened, but the sound of the animal’s feet on deck and the braying of the beast fairly terrified them. When the blanket was removed and they saw only two men, they expressed the greatest astonishment, and even laid their hands on them to satisfy themselves that they were not two mules.
In the afternoon the officers heard that an attack would be made on the observatory during the night by a party of warriors from the chief Vendovi’s district, as they had learned that the chief was a prisoner in irons on board our ship. Their object was to secure Captain Wilkes, and by that means compel an exchange of prisoners. The commodore immediately came on board ship. The observatory was re-inforced by the first part of the starboard watch, armed and equipped for any emergency. The ship was laid broadside to the shore, with springs on her cables, so as to bring the guns to bear on each side of the observatory.
Just before sunset six large war-canoes came to anchor behind a point about a mile ahead of the ship. Our guns were loaded with canister and a stand of grape and the tompions were left out. The battle-lanterns were lighted and placed between the guns. During the night many natives were seen skulking about the observatory. The night passed, however, without any disturbance, except a false alarm caused by the accidental discharge of a musket in the hands of one of the sentinels, John Van Cleck, a big Dutchman, who swore that "the gun was not loaded," and that "it went off itself." In the morning we commenced breaking up the observatory, and carried all the instruments on board ship.