A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18) by Robert Kerr

R >> Robert Kerr >> A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18)

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"We regretted much that our restrained situation gave us so little
opportunity of making observations on the country; for, during the whole
day, we were seldom a hundred yards from the place where we were
introduced to the chiefs on landing, and consequently, were confined to
the surrounding objects. The first thing that presented itself, worthy
of our notice, was the number of people, which must have been at least
two thousand. For those who welcomed us on the shore bore no proportion
to the multitude we found amongst the trees, on proceeding a little way
up."

"We could also observe, that, except a few, those we had hitherto seen
on board were of the lower class; for a great number of those we now met
with had a superior dignity in their air, and were of a much whiter
cast. In general, they had the hair tied on the crown of the head, long,
black, and of a most luxuriant growth. Many of the young men were
perfect models in shape, of a complexion as delicate as that of the
women, and, to appearance, of a disposition as amiable. Others, who were
more advanced in years, were corpulent; and all had a remarkable
smoothness of the skin. Their general dress was a piece of cloth, or
mat, wrapped about the waist, and covering the parts which modesty
conceals. But some had pieces of mats, most curiously varied with black
and white, made into a sort of jacket without sleeves; and others wore
conical caps of cocoa-nut core, neatly interwoven with small beads, made
of a shelly substance. Their ears were pierced; and in them they hung
bits of the membranous part of some plant, or stuck there an odoriferous
flower, which seemed to be a species of _gardenia_. Some, who were of a
superior class, and also the chiefs, had two little balls, with a common
base, made from the bone of some animal, which was hung round the neck,
with a great many folds of small cord. And after the ceremony of
introduction to the chiefs was over, they then appeared without their
red feathers, which are certainly considered here as a particular mark
of distinction, for none but themselves, and the young women who danced,
assumed them."

"Some of the men were punctured all over the sides and back in an
uncommon manner; and some of the women had the same ornament on their
legs. But this method was confined to those who seemed to be of a
superior rank; and the men, in that case, were also generally
distinguished by their size and corpulence, unless very young. The women
of an advanced age had their hair cropped short; and many were cut in
oblique lines all over the fore-part of the body; and some of the
wounds, which formed rhomboidal figures, had been so lately inflicted,
that the coagulated blood still remained in them."

"The wife of one of the chiefs appeared with her child, laid in a piece
of red cloth, which had been presented to her husband, and seemed to
carry it with great tenderness, suckling it much after the manner of our
women. Another chief introduced his daughter, who was young and
beautiful, but appeared with all the timidity natural to the sex, though
she gazed on us with a kind of anxious concern, that seemed to struggle
with her fear, and to express her astonishment at so unusual a sight.
Others advanced with more firmness, and indeed were less reserved than
we expected, but behaved with a becoming modesty. We did not observe any
personal deformities amongst either sex, except in a few who had scars
of broad superficial ulcers remaining on the face and other parts. In
proportion to the number of people assembled, there appeared not many
old men or women; which may easily be accounted for, by supposing that
such as were in an advanced period of life, might neither have the
inclination nor the ability to come from the more distant parts of the
island. On the other hand, the children were numerous; and both these
and the men climbed the trees to look at us when we were hid by the
surrounding crowd."

"About a third part of the men were armed with clubs and spears; and
probably these were only the persons who had come from a distance, as
many of them had small baskets, mats, and other things, fastened to the
ends of their weapons. The clubs were generally about six feet long,
made of a hard black wood, lance-shaped at the end, but much broader,
with the edge nicely scolloped, and the whole neatly polished. Others of
them were narrower at the point, much shorter, and plain; and some were
even so small as to be used with one hand. The spears were made of the
same wood, simply pointed, and, in general, above twelve feet long;
though some were so short that they seemed intended to be thrown as
darts."

"The place where we were all the day was under the shade of various
trees, in which they preserved their canoes from the sun. About eight or
ten of them were here, all double ones, that is, two single ones
fastened together (as is usual throughout the whole extent of the
Pacific Ocean) by rafters lashed across. They were about twenty feet
long, about four feet deep, and the sides rounded with a plank raised
upon them, which was fastened strongly by means of withes. Two of these
canoes were most curiously stained, or painted, all over with black, in
numberless small figures, as squares, triangles, &c. and excelled by far
any thing of that kind I had ever seen at any other island in this
ocean. Our friends here, indeed, seemed to have exerted more skill in
doing this than in puncturing their own bodies. The paddles were about
four feet long, nearly elliptical, but broader at the upper end than the
middle. Near the same place was a hut or shed, about thirty feet long,
and nine or ten high, in which, perhaps, these boats are built; but at
this time it was empty."

"The greatest number of the trees around us were _cocoa-palms_, some
sorts of _hibiscus_, a species of _euphorbia_, and, toward the sea,
abundance of the same kind of trees we had seen at Mangeea Nooe
Nainaiwa, and which seemed to surround the shores of the island in the
same manner. They are tall and slender, not much unlike a cypress, but
with bunches of long, round, articulated leaves. The natives call them
_etoa_. On the ground we saw some grass, a species of _convolvulus_, and
a good deal of _treacle-mustard_. There are also, doubtless, other
fruit-trees and useful plants which we did not see; for, besides several
sorts of _plantains_, they brought, at different times, roots which they
call _taro_, (the _coccos_ of other countries,) a bread-fruit, and a
basket of roasted nuts, of a kidney shape, in taste like a chesnut, but
coarser."

"What the soil of the island may be farther inland we could not tell,
but toward the sea it is nothing more than a bank of coral, ten or
twelve feet high, steep and rugged, except where there are small sandy
beaches at some clefts, where the ascent is gradual. The coral, though
it has probably been exposed to the weather for many centuries, has
undergone no farther change than becoming black on the surface, which,
from its irregularity, is not much unlike large masses of a burnt
substance. But, on breaking some pieces off, we found that, at the depth
of two or three inches, it was just as fresh as the pieces that had been
lately thrown upon the beach by the waves. The reef, or rock, that lines
the shore entirely, runs to different breadths into the sea, where it
ends all at once, and becomes like a high, steep wall. It is nearly even
with the surface of the water, and of a brown or brick colour; but the
texture is rather porous, yet sufficient to withstand the washing of the
surf which continually breaks upon it."

Though the landing of our gentlemen proved the means of enriching my
journal with the foregoing particulars, the principal object I had in
view was, in a great measure, unattained; for the day was spent without
getting any one thing from the island worth mentioning. The natives,
however, were gratified with a sight they never before had, and
probably will never have again. And mere curiosity seems to have been
their chief motive for keeping the gentlemen under such restraint, and
for using every art to prolong their continuance amongst them.

It has been mentioned that Omai was sent upon this expedition; and
perhaps his being Mr Gore's interpreter was not the only service he
performed this day. He was asked by the natives a great many questions
concerning us, our ships, our country, and the sort of arms we used;
and, according to the account he gave me, his answers were not a little
upon the marvellous. As, for instance, he told them that our country had
ships as large as their island, on board which were instruments of war
(describing our guns) of such dimensions that several people might sit
within them, and that one of them was sufficient to crush the whole
island at one shot. This led them to enquire of him what sort of guns we
actually had in our two ships. He said, that though they were but small
in comparison with those he had just described, yet, with such as they
were, we could, with the greatest ease, and at the distance the ships
were from the shore, destroy the island, and kill every soul in it. They
persevered in their enquiries, to know by what means this could be done;
and Omai explained the matter as well as he could. He happened luckily
to have a few cartridges in his pocket. These he produced; the balls,
and the gunpowder which was to set them in motion, were submitted to
inspection; and, to supply the defects of his description, an appeal was
made to the senses of the spectators. It has been mentioned above, that
one of the chiefs had ordered the multitude to form themselves into a
circle. This furnished Omai with a convenient stage for his exhibition.
In the centre of this amphitheatre, the inconsiderable quantity of
gunpowder collected from his cartridges was properly disposed upon the
ground, and, by means of a bit of burning wood from the oven, where
dinner was dressing, set on fire. The sudden blast and loud report, the
mingled flame and smoke, that instantly succeeded, now filled the whole
assembly with astonishment. They no longer doubted the tremendous power
of our weapons, and gave full credit to all that Omai had said.

If it had not been for the terrible ideas they conceived of the guns of
our ships, from this specimen of their mode of operation, it was thought
that they would have detained the gentlemen all night. For Omai assured
them, that if he and his companions did not return on board the same
day, they might expect that I would fire upon the island. And as we
stood in nearer the land in the evening, than we had done any time
before, of which position of the ships they were observed to take great
notice, they probably thought we were meditating this formidable attack,
and, therefore, suffered their guests to depart; under the expectation,
however, of seeing them again on shore next morning. But I was too
sensible of the risk they had already run, to think of a repetition of
the experiment.

This day, it seems, was destined to give Omai more occasions than one of
being brought forward to bear a principal part in its transactions. The
island, though never before visited by Europeans, actually happened to
have other strangers residing in it; and it was entirely owing to Omai's
being one of Mr Gore's attendants, that this curious circumstance came
to our knowledge.

Scarcely had he been landed upon the beach, when he found, amongst the
crowd there assembled, three of his own countrymen, natives of the
Society Islands. At the distance of about 200 leagues from those
islands, an immense, unknown ocean intervening, with such wretched
sea-boats as their inhabitants are known to make use of, and fit only
for a passage where sight of land is scarcely ever lost, such a meeting,
at such a place, so accidentally visited by us, may well be looked upon
as one of those unexpected situations with which the writers of feigned
adventures love to surprise their readers, and which, when they really
happen in common life, deserve to be recorded for their singularity.

It may easily be guessed with what mutual surprise and satisfaction Omai
and his countrymen engaged in conversation. Their story, as related by
them, is an affecting one. About twenty persons in number, of both
sexes, had embarked on board a canoe at Otaheite, to cross over to the
neighbouring island Ulietea. A violent contrary wind arising, they could
neither reach the latter nor get back to the former. Their intended
passage being a very short one, their stock of provisions was scanty,
and soon exhausted. The hardships they suffered, while driven along by
the storm they knew not whither, are not to be conceived. They passed
many days without having any thing to eat or drink. Their numbers
gradually diminished, worn out by famine and fatigue. Four men only
survived when the canoe overset, and then the perdition of this small
remnant seemed inevitable. However, they kept hanging by the side of
their vessel during some of the last days, till Providence brought them
in sight of the people of this island, who immediately sent out canoes,
took them off their wreck, and brought them ashore. Of the four who were
thus saved, one was since dead. The other three, who lived to have this
opportunity of giving an account of their almost miraculous
transplantation, spoke highly of the kind treatment they here met with.
And so well satisfied were they with their situation, that they refused
the offer made to them by our gentlemen, at Omai's request, of giving
them a passage on board our ships, to restore them to their native
islands. The similarity of manners and language had more than
naturalized them to this spot; and the fresh connexions which they had
here formed, and which it would have been painful to have broken off
after such a length of time, sufficiently account for their declining to
revisit the places of their birth. They had arrived upon this island at
least twelve years ago. For I learnt from Mr Anderson, that he found
they knew nothing of Captain Wallis's visit to Otaheite in 1765, nor of
several other memorable occurrences, such as the conquest of Ulietea by
those of Bolabola, which had preceded the arrival of the Europeans. To
Mr Anderson I am also indebted for their names, Orououte, Otirreroa, and
Tavee; the first born at Matavai in Otaheite, the second at Ulietea, and
the third at Huaheine.

The landing of our gentlemen on this island, though they failed in the
object of it, cannot but be considered as a very fortunate circumstance.
It has proved, as we have seen, the means of bringing to our knowledge a
matter of fact, not only very curious, but very instructive. The
application of the above narrative is obvious. It will serve to explain,
better than a thousand conjectures of speculative reasoners, how the
detached parts of the earth, and, in particular, how the islands of the
South Sea, may have been first peopled, especially those that lie remote
from any inhabited continent, or from each other.[154]

[Footnote 154: Such accidents as this here related, probably happen
frequently in the Pacific Ocean. In 1696, two canoes, having on board
thirty persons of both sexes, were driven by contrary winds and
tempestuous weather on the isle of Samal, one of the Philippines, after
being tossed about at sea seventy days, and having performed a voyage
from an island called by them Arnorsot, 300 leagues to the E. of Samal.
Five of the number who had embarked died of the hardships suffered
during this extraordinary passage. See a particular account of them, and
of the islands they belonged to, in Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses,
tom. xv. from p. 196 to p. 215. In the same volume, from p. 282 to p.
320, we have the relation of a similar adventure in 1721, when two
canoes, one containing twenty-four, and the other six, persons, men,
women, and children, were driven from an island they called Farroilep,
northward to the Isle of Guam, or Guahan, one of the Ladrones or
Mariannes. But these had not sailed so far as their countrymen who
reached Samal, as above, and they had been at sea only twenty days.
There seems to be no reason to doubt the general authenticity of these
two relations. The information contained in the Letters of the Jesuits
about these islands, now known under the name of the Carolines, and
discovered to the Spaniards by the arrival of the canoes at Samal and
Guam, has been adopted by all our later writers. See President de
Brosse's Voyages aux Terres Australes, tom. ii. from p. 443 to p. 490.
See also the Modern Universal History.--D.]

This island is called Wateeoo by the natives. It lies in the latitude of
20 deg. 1' S. and in the longitude 201 deg. 45' E., and is about six leagues in
circumference. It is a beautiful spot, with a surface composed of hills
and plains, and covered with verdure of many hues. Our gentlemen found
the soil, where they passed the day, to be light and sandy. But farther
up the country, a different sort perhaps prevails, as we saw from the
ship, by the help of our glasses, a reddish cast upon the rising
grounds. There the inhabitants have their houses; for we could perceive
two or three, which were long and spacious. Its produce, with the
addition of hogs, we found to be the same as at the last island we had
visited, which the people of this, to whom we pointed out its position,
called Owhavarouah, a name so different from Mangeea Nooe Nainaiwa,
which we learnt from its own inhabitants, that it is highly probably
Owhavarouah is another island.

From the circumstances already mentioned, it appears that Wateeoo can be
of little use to any ship that wants refreshment, unless in a case of
the most absolute necessity. The natives, knowing now the value of some
of our commodities, might be induced to bring off fruits and hogs to a
ship standing off and on, or to boats lying off the reef, as ours did.
It is doubtful, however, if any fresh water could be procured; for,
though some was brought in cocoa-nut shells to the gentlemen, they were
told that it was at a considerable distance; and, probably, it is only
to be met with in some stagnant pool, as no running stream was any where
seen.

According to Omai's report of what he learnt in conversation with his
three countrymen, the manners of these islanders, their method of
treating strangers, and their general habits of life, are much like
those that prevail at Otaheite, and its neighbouring isles. Their
religious ceremonies and opinions are also nearly the same. For, upon
seeing one man who was painted all over of a deep black colour, and
enquiring the reason, our gentlemen were told that he had lately been
paying the last good offices to a deceased friend; and they found, that
it was upon similar occasions the women cut themselves, as already
mentioned. From, every circumstance, indeed, it is indubitable, that the
natives of Wateeoo sprung originally from the same stock, which hath
spread itself so wonderfully all over the immense extent of the South
Sea. One would suppose, however, that they put in their claim to a more
illustrious extraction; for Omai assured us, that they dignified their
island with the appellation of _Wenooa no te Eatooa_, that is, A land of
gods; esteeming themselves a sort of divinities, and possessed with the
spirit of the Eatooa. This wild enthusiastic notion Omai seemed much to
approve of, telling us there were instances of its being entertained at
Otaheite, but that it was universally prevalent amongst the inhabitants
of Mataia, or Osnaburg Island.

The language spoken at Wateeoo was equally well understood by Omai, and
by our two New Zealanders. What its peculiarities may be, when compared
with the other dialects, I am not able to point out; for, though Mr
Anderson had taken care to note down a specimen of it, the natives, who
made no distinction of the objects of their theft, stole the memorandum
book.

SECTION III.

_Wenooa-ette, or Otokootaia, visited.--Account of that Island, and of
its Produce.--Hervey's Island, or Terougge mou Attooa, found to be
inhabited.--Transactions with the Natives,--Their Persons, Dress,
Language, Canoes.--Fruitless Attempt to land there.--Reasons for bearing
away for the Friendly Islands.--Palmerston's Island touched
at.--Description of the two Places where the Boats landed.--Refreshments
obtained there.--Conjectures on the Formation of such low
Islands.--Arrival at the Friendly Islands_.

Light airs and calms having prevailed, by turns, all the night of the 3d
of April, the easterly swell had carried the ships some distance from
Wateeoo before day-break. But as I had failed in my object of procuring
at that place some effectual supply, I saw no reason for staying there
any longer. I therefore quitted it, without regret, and steered, for the
neighbouring island, which, as has been mentioned, we discovered three
days before.

With a gentle breeze at E. we got up with it before ten o'clock in the
morning, and I immediately dispatched Mr Gore, with two boats, to
endeavour to land, and get some food for our cattle. As there seemed to
be no inhabitants here to obstruct our taking away whatever we might
think proper, I was confident of his being able to make amends for our
late disappointment, if the landing could be effected. There was a reef
here surrounding the land as at Wateeoo, and a considerable surf
breaking against the rocks. Notwithstanding which, our boats no sooner
reached the lee, or west side of the island, but they ventured in, and
Mr Gore and his party got safe on shore. I could, from the ship, see
that they had succeeded so far, and I immediately sent a small boat to
know what farther assistance was wanting. She did not return till three
o'clock in the afternoon, having waited to take in a lading of what
useful produce the island afforded. As soon as she was cleared, she was
sent again for another cargo; the jolly boat was also dispatched, and Mr
Gore was ordered to be on board, with all the boats, before night, which
was complied with.

The supply obtained here consisted of about a hundred cocoa nuts for
each ship; and, besides this refreshment for ourselves, we got for our
cattle some grass, and a quantity of the leaves and branches of young
cocoa-trees, and of the _wharra_-tree, as it is called at Otaheite, the
_pandanus_ of the East Indies. This latter being of a soft, spungy,
juicy nature, the cattle eat it very well when cut into small pieces; so
that it might be said, without any deviation from truth, that we fed
them upon billet wood.

This island lies in the latitude of 19 deg. 51' S. and the longitude of 201 deg.
37' E, about three or four leagues from Wateeoo, the inhabitants of
which called it Otakootaia; and sometimes they spoke of it under the
appellation of Wenooa-ette, which signifies little island. Mr Anderson,
who was on shore with our party, and walked round it, guessed that it
could not be much more than three miles in circuit. From him I also
learned the following particulars: The beach, within the reef, is
composed of a white coral sand, above which the land within does not
rise above six or seven feet, and is covered with a light reddish soil,
but is entirely destitute of water.

The only common trees found there were cocoa-palms, of which there were
several clusters, and vast numbers of the _wharra_. There was likewise
the _callophyllum, suriana, guettarda_, a species of _tournefortia_, and
_tabernae montanae_, with a few other shrubs, and some of the _etoa_
tree seen at Wateeoo. A sort of bind-weed over-ran the vacant spaces,
except in some places, where was found a considerable quantity of
_treacle-mustard_, a species of _spurge_, with a few other small plants,
and the _morinda citrifolia_, the fruit of which is eaten by the natives
of Otaheite in times of scarcity. Omai, who had landed with the party,
dressed some of it for their dinner, but it proved very indifferent.

The only bird seen amongst the trees was a beautiful cuckoo, of a
chesnut brown, variegated with black, which was shot. But upon the shore
were some egg-birds; a small sort of curlew; blue and white herons; and
a great number of noddies; which last, at this time, laid their eggs a
little farther up on the ground, and often rested on the wharra-tree.

One of our people caught a lizard of a most forbidding aspect, though
small, running up a tree; and many of another sort were seen. The bushes
toward the sea were frequented by infinite cumbers of a sort of moth,
elegantly speckled with red, black, and white. There were also several
other sorts of moths, as well as some pretty butterflies, and a few
other insects.

Though there were, at this time, no fixed inhabitants upon the island,
indubitable marks remained of its being at least occasionally
frequented. In particular, a few empty huts were found. There were also
several large stones erected, like monuments, under the shade of some
trees, and several spaces inclosed with smaller ones, where, probably,
the dead had been buried. And, in one place, a great many cockle-shells,
of a particular sort, finely grooved, and larger than the first, were to
be seen; from which it was reasonable to conjecture, that the island had
been visited by persons who feed partly on shell-fish. In one of the
huts Mr Gore left a hatchet and some nails, to the full value of what we
took away.