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 remained at this station till eleven o'clock the next day, when we
weighed, and plyed to the eastward. But it was ten at night before we
weathered the east end of the island, and were enabled to stretch away
for Middleburgh, or Eooa, (as it is called by the inhabitants,) where we
anchored, at eight o'clock in the next morning, in forty fathoms water,
over a bottom of sand, interspersed with coral rocks; the extremes of
the island extending from N. 40 deg. E., to S. 22 deg. W.; the high land of
Eooa, S. 45 deg. E.; and Tongataboo, from N. 70 deg. W., to N. 19 deg. W., distant
about half a mile from the shore, being nearly the same place where I
had my station in 1773, and then named by me, _English Road_.

We had no sooner anchored, than Taoofa, the chief, and several other
natives, visited as on board, and seemed to rejoice much at our arrival.
This Taoofa[172] had been my _Tayo_, when I was here, during my last
voyage; consequently, we were not strangers to each other. In a little
time, I went ashore with him, in search of fresh water, the procuring of
which was the chief object that brought me to Eooa. I had been told at
Tongataboo, that there was here a stream, running from the hills into
the sea; but this was not the case now. I was first conducted to a
brackish spring, between low and high water mark, amongst rocks, in the
cove where we landed, and where no one would ever have thought of
looking for what we wanted. However, I believe the water of this spring
might be good, were it possible to take it up before the tide mixes with
it. Finding that we did not like this, our friends took us a little way
into the island, where, in a deep chasm, we found very good water;
which, at the expence of some time and trouble, might be conveyed down
to the shore, by means of spouts or troughs, that could be made with
plantain leaves, and the stem of the tree. But, rather than to undertake
that tedious task, I resolved to rest contented with the supply the
ships had got at Tongataboo.

[Footnote 172: In the account of Captain Cook's former voyage, he calls
the only chief he then met with, at this place, _Tioony_.--D.]

Before I returned on board, I set on foot a trade for hogs and yams. Of
the former, we could procure but few; but of the latter, plenty. I put
ashore, at this island, the ram and two ewes, of the Cape of Good Hope
breed of sheep, entrusting them to the care of Taoofa, who seemed proud
of his charge. It was fortunate, perhaps, that Mareewagee, to whom I had
given them, as before mentioned, slighted the present. Eooa not having,
as yet, got any dogs upon it, seems to be a properer place than
Tongataboo for the rearing of sheep.

As we lay at anchor, this island bore a very different aspect from any
we had lately seen, and formed a most beautiful landscape. It is higher
than any we had passed since leaving New Zealand, (as Kao may justly be
reckoned an immense rock,) and from its top, which is almost flat,
declines very gently toward the sea. As the other isles of this cluster
are level, the eye can discover nothing but the trees that cover them;
but here the land, rising gently upward, presents us with an extensive
prospect, where groves of trees are only interspersed at irregular
distances, in beautiful disorder, and the rest covered with grass. Near
the shore, again, it is quite shaded with various trees, amongst which
are the habitations of the natives; and to the right of our station, was
one of the most extensive groves of cocoa-palms we had ever seen.

The 13th, in the afternoon, a party of us made an excursion to the
highest part of the island, which was a little to the right of our
ships, in order to have a full view of the country. About half way up,
we crossed a deep valley, the bottom and sides of which, though composed
of hardly any thing but coral rock, were clothed with trees. We were now
about two or three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and yet,
even here, the coral was perforated into all the holes and inequalities
which usually diversify the surface of this substance within the reach
of the tide. Indeed, we found the same coral till we began to approach
the summits of the highest hills; and it was remarkable, that these were
chiefly composed of a yellowish, soft, sandy stone. The soil there, is,
in general, a reddish clay, which, in many places, seemed to be very
deep. On the most elevated part of the whole island, we found a round
platform, or mount of earth, supported by a wall of coral stones; to
bring which to such a height, must have cost much labour. Our guides
told us, that this mount had been erected by order of their chief; and
that they, sometimes, meet there to drink/_kava_. They called it
_etchee_; by which name, an erection which we had seen at Tongataboo, as
already mentioned, was distinguished. Not many paces from it, was a
spring, of excellent water; and, about a mile lower down, a running
stream, which, we were told, found its way to the sea when the rains
were copious. We also met with water in many little holes; and, no
doubt, great plenty might be found by digging.

From the elevation to which we had ascended, we had a full view of the
whole island, except a part of the south point. The S.E. side, from
which the highest hills we were now upon, are not far distant, rises
with very great inequalities, immediately from the sea, so that the
plains and meadows, of which there are here some of great extent, lie
all on the N.W. side; and as they are adorned with tufts of trees,
intermixed with plantations, they form a very beautiful landscape in
every point of view. While I was surveying this delightful prospect, I
could not help flattering myself with the pleasing idea, that some
future navigator may, from the same station, behold these meadows
stocked with cattle, brought to these islands by the ships of England;
and that the completion of this single benevolent purpose, independently
of all other considerations, would sufficiently mark to posterity, that
our voyages had not been useless to the general interests of humanity.
Besides the plants common on the other neighbouring islands, we found,
on the height, a species of _acrosticum, melastoma_, and fern tree, with
a few other ferns and plants not common lower down.

Our guides informed us, that all, or most of the land, on this island,
belonged to the great chiefs of Tongataboo, and that the inhabitants
were only tenants or vassals to them. Indeed, this seemed to be the case
at all the other neighbouring isles, except Annamooka, where there were
some chiefs, who seemed to act with some kind of independence. Omai, who
was a great favourite with Feenou, and these people in general, was
tempted with the offer of being made chief of this island, if he would
have staid amongst them; and it is not clear to me, that he would not
have been glad to stay, if the scheme had met with my approbation. I own
I did disapprove of it, but not because I thought that Omai would do
better for himself in his own native isle.

On returning from my country expedition, we were informed that a party
of the natives had, in the circle where our people traded, struck one of
their own countrymen with a club, which laid bare, or as others said,
fractured his skull, and then broke his thigh with the same, when our
men interposed. He had no signs of life when carried to a neighbouring
house, but afterward recovered a little. On my asking the reason of so
severe a treatment, we were informed, that he had been discovered in a
situation rather indelicate, with a woman who was _taboo'd_. We,
however, understood, that she was no otherwise _taboo'd_, than by
belonging to another person, and rather superior in rank to her gallant.
From this circumstance we had an opportunity of observing how these
people treat such infidelities. But the female sinner has, by far, the
smaller share of punishment for her misdemeanor, as they told us that
she would only receive a slight beating.

The next morning, I planted a pine-apple, and sowed the seeds of melons
and other vegetables, in the chief's plantation. I had some
encouragement, indeed, to flatter myself, that my endeavours of this
kind would not be fruitless; for, this day, there was served up at my
dinner, a dish of turnips, being the produce of the seeds I had left
here during my last voyage.

I had fixed upon the 15th for sailing, till Taoofa pressed me to stay a
day or two longer, to receive a present he had prepared for me. This
reason, and the daily expectation of seeing some of our friends from
Tongataboo, induced me to defer my departure.

Accordingly, the next day I received the chiefs present, consisting of
two small heaps of yams, and some fruit, which seemed to be collected by
a kind of contribution, as at the other isles. On this occasion, most of
the people of the island had assembled at the place; and, as we had
experienced on such numerous meetings amongst their neighbours, gave us
not a little trouble to prevent them from pilfering whatever they could
lay their hands upon. We were entertained with cudgelling, wrestling,
and boxing-matches; and, in the latter, both male and female combatants
exhibited. It was intended to have finished the shew with the _bomai_,
or night dance, but an accident either put a total stop to it, or, at
least, prevented any of us from staying ashore to see it. One of my
people, walking a very little way, was surrounded by twenty or thirty of
the natives, who knocked him down, and stripped him of every thing he
had on his back. On hearing of this, I immediately seized two canoes,
and a large hog, and insisted on Taoofa's causing the clothes to be
restored, and on the offenders being delivered up to me. The chief
seemed much concerned at what had happened, and forthwith took the
necessary steps to satisfy me. This affair so alarmed the assembled
people, that most of them fled. However, when they found that I took no
other measures to revenge the insult, they returned. It was not long
before one of the offenders was delivered up to me, and a shirt and a
pair of trowsers restored. The remainder of the stolen goods not coming
in before night, I was under a necessity of leaving them to go aboard;
for the sea run so high, that it was with the greatest difficulty the
boats could get out of the creek with day-light, much less in the dark.

The next morning I landed again, having provided myself with a present
for Taoofa, in return for what he had given me. As it was early, there
were but few people at the landing-place, and those few not without
their fears. But on my desiring Omai to assure them that we meant no
harm; and, in confirmation of this assurance, having restored the canoes
and released the offender, whom they had delivered up to me, they
resumed their usual gaiety; and presently a large circle was formed, in
which the chief, and all the principal men of the island, took their
places. The remainder of the clothes were now brought in; but as they
had been torn off the man's back by pieces, they were not worth carrying
on board. Taoofa, on receiving my present, shared it with three or four
other chiefs, keeping only a small part for himself. This present
exceeded their expectation so greatly, that one of their chiefs, a
venerable old man, told me, that they did not deserve it, considering
how little they had given to me, and the ill treatment one of my people
had met with. I remained with them till they had finished their bowl of
_kava_; and having then paid for the hog, which I had taken the day
before, returned on board, with Taoofa, and one of Poulaho's servants,
by whom I sent, as a parting mark of my esteem and regard for that
chief, a piece of bar iron, being as valuable a present as any I could
make to him.

Soon after, we weighed, and with a light breeze at S.E., stood out to
sea; and then Tafooa, and a few other natives, that were in the ship,
left us. On heaving up the anchor, we found that the cable had suffered
considerably by the rocks; so that the bottom, in this road, is not to
be depended upon. Besides this, we experienced, that a prodigious swell
rolls in there from the S.W.

We had not been long under sail, before we observed a sailing canoe
coming from Tongataboo, and entering the creek before which we had
anchored. Same hours after, a small canoe, conducted by four men, came
off to us. For, as we had but little wind, we were still at no great
distance front the land. These men told us, that the sailing canoe,
which we had seen arrive from Tongataboo, had brought orders to the
people of Eooa, to furnish us with a certain number of hogs; and that,
in two days, the king and other chiefs, would be with us. They,
therefore, desired we would return to our former station. There was no
reason to doubt the truth of what these men told us. Two of them had
actually come from Tongataboo in the sailing canoe; and they had no
view in coming off to us, but to give this intelligence. However, as we
were now clear of the land, it was not a sufficient inducement to bring
me back, especially as we had already on board a stock of fresh
provisions, sufficient, in all probability, to last during our passage
to Otaheite. Besides Taoofa's present, we had got a good quantity of
yams at Eooa, in exchange chiefly for small nails. Our supply of hogs
was also considerably increased there; though, doubtless, we should have
got many more, if the chiefs of Tongataboo had been with us, whose
property they mostly were. At the approach of night, these men finding
that we would not return, left us; as also some others who had come off
in two canoes, with a few cocoa-nuts and shaddocks, to exchange them for
what they could get; the eagerness of these people to get into their
possession more of our commodities, inducing them to follow the ships
out to sea, and to continue their intercourse with us to the last
moment.

SECTION X.

_Advantages derived from visiting the Friendly Islands.--Best Articles
for Traffic.--Refreshments that may be procured.--The Number of the
Islands, and their Names.--Keppel's and Boscawen's Islands belong to
them.--Account of Vavaoo--Of Hamoa--Of Feejee.--Voyages of the Natives
in their Canoes.--Difficulty of procuring exact Information.--Persons of
the Inhabitants of both Sexes.--Their Colour.--Diseases.--Their general
Character.--Manner of wearing their Hair.--Of puncturing their
Bodies.--Their Clothing and Ornaments.--Personal Cleanliness_.

Thus we took leave of the Friendly Islands and their inhabitants, after
a stay of between two and three months, during which time, we lived
together in the most cordial friendship. Some accidental differences, it
is true, now and then happened, owing to their great propensity to
thieving; but too often encouraged by the negligence of our own people.
But these differences were never attended with any fatal consequences,
to prevent which, all my measures were directed; and I believe few on
board our ships left our friends here without some regret. The time
employed amongst them was not thrown away. We expended very little of
our sea provisions, subsisting, in general, upon the produce of the
islands, while we staid, and carrying away with us a quantity of
refreshments sufficient to last till our arrival at another station,
where we could depend upon a fresh supply. I was not sorry, besides, to
have had an opportunity of bettering the condition of these good people,
by leaving the useful animals before-mentioned among them; and, at the
same time, those designed for Otaheite, received fresh strength in the
pastures of Tongataboo. Upon the whole, therefore, the advantages we
received by touching here were very great; and I had the additional
satisfaction to reflect, that they were received, without retarding one
moment, the prosecution of the great object of our voyage; the season
for proceeding to the north, being, as has been already observed, lost,
before I took the resolution of bearing away for these islands.

But besides the immediate advantages, which both the natives of the
Friendly Islands and ourselves received by this visit, future navigators
from Europe, if any such should ever tread our steps, will profit by the
knowledge I acquired of the geography of this part of the Pacific Ocean;
and the more philosophical reader, who loves to view human nature in new
situations, and to speculate on singular, but faithful representations
of the persons, the customs, the arts, the religion, the government, and
the language of uncultivated man, in remote and fresh-discovered
quarters of the globe, will perhaps find matter of amusement, if not of
instruction, in the information which I have been enabled to convey to
him, concerning the inhabitants of this Archipelago. I shall suspend my
narrative of the progress of the voyage, while I faithfully relate what
I had opportunities of collecting on these several topics.

We found by our experience, that the best articles for traffic at these
islands, are iron tools in general. Axes and hatchets, nails, from the
largest spike down to tenpenny ones, rasps, files, and knives, are much
sought after. Red cloth, and linen, both white and coloured,
looking-glasses and beads are also in estimation; but of the latter
those that are blue are preferred to all others, and white ones are
thought the least valuable. A string of large blue beads would at any
time purchase a hog. But it must be observed, that such articles as are
merely ornaments, may be highly esteemed at one time, and not so at
another. When we first arrived at Annamooka, the people there would
hardly take them in exchange even for fruit; but when Feenou came, this
great man set the fashion, and brought them into vogue, till they rose
in their value to what I have just mentioned.

In return for the favourite commodities which I have enumerated, all the
refreshments may be procured that the islands produce. These are, hogs,
fowls, fish, yams, breadfruit, plantains, cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, and,
in general, every such supply as can be met with at Otaheite, or any of
the Society Islands. The yams of the Friendly Islands are excellent,
and, when grown to perfection, keep very well at sea. But their pork,
bread-fruit, and plantains, though far from despicable, are nevertheless
much inferior in quality to the same articles at Otaheite, and in its
neighbourhood.

Good water, which ships on long voyages stand so much in need of, is
scarce at these islands. It may be found, it is true, on them all; but
still either in too inconsiderable quantities, or in situations too
inconvenient, to serve the purposes of navigators. However, as the
islands afford plenty of provisions, and particularly of cocoa-nuts,
ships may make a tolerable shift with such water as is to be got; and if
one is not over nice, there will be no want. While we lay at anchor
under Kotoo, on our return from Hepaee, some people from Kao informed
us, that there was a stream of water there, which, pouring down from the
mountain, runs into the sea on the S.W. side of the island; that is, on,
the side that faces Toofoa, another island remarkable for its height, as
also for having a considerable volcano in it, which, as has been already
mentioned, burnt violently all the time that we were in its
neighbourhood. It may be worth while for future navigators to attend to
this intelligence about the stream of water at Kao, especially as we
learned that there was anchorage on that part of the coast. The black
stone, of which the natives of the Friendly Islands make their hatchets
and other tools, we were informed, is the production of Toofoa.

Under the denomination of Friendly Islands, we must include, not only
the group at Hepaee which I visited, but also all those islands that
have been discovered nearly under the same meridian to the north, as
well as some others that have never been seen hitherto by any European
navigators, but are under the dominion of Tongataboo, which, though not
the largest, is the capital and seat of government.

According to the information that we received there, this archipelago is
very extensive. Above one hundred and fifty islands were reckoned up to
us by the natives, who made use of bits of leaves to ascertain their
number; and Mr Anderson, with his usual diligence, even procured all
their names. Fifteen of them are said to be high or hilly, such, as
Toofoa and Eooa, and thirty-five of them large. Of these, only three
were seen this voyage; Hepaee, (which is considered by the natives as
one island,) Tongataboo, and Eooa: Of the size of the unexplored
thirty-two, nothing more can be mentioned, but that they must be all
larger than Annamooka, which those from whom we had our information
ranked amongst the smaller isles. Some, or indeed several of this latter
denomination, are mere spots without inhabitants. But it must be left to
future navigators to introduce into the geography of this part of the
South Pacific Ocean the exact situation and size of near a hundred more
islands in this neighbourhood, which we had not an opportunity to
explore, and whose existence we only learnt from the testimony of our
friends as above-mentioned. On their authority the following list of
them was made, and it may serve as a ground-work for farther
investigation.

_Names of the Friendly Islands, and others, in that Neighbourhood,
mentioned by the Inhabitants of Anamooka, Hepaee, and Tongataboo_.[173]

[Footnote 173: Those islands which the natives represented as large
ones, are distinguished in Italics.]

Komooefeeva, Noogoofaeeou, Novababoo,
Kollalona, Koreemou, Golabbe,
Felongaboonga, Failemaia, Vagaeetoo,
Kovereetoa, Koweeka, Gowakka,
Fonogooeatta, Konookoonama, _Goofoo_,
Modooanoogoo Kooonoogoo, Mafanna,
noogoo Geenageena, Kolloooa,
Tongooa, Kowourogoheefo, Tabanna,
Koooa, Kottejeea, Motooha,
Fenooa eeka, Kokabba, Looakabba,
_Vavaoo_ Boloa, Toofanaetollo,
Koloa, Toofagga, Toofanaelaa,
Fafeene, Loogoobahanga, _Kogoopoloo_,
Taoonga, Taoola, _Havaeeeeke_,
Kobakeemotoo, Maneeneeta, _Tootooeela_,
Kongahoonoho, Fonooaooma, _Manooka_,
Komalla, Fonooonneonne, _Leshainga_,
Konoababoo, Wegaffa, _Pappataia_,
Konnetalle, Fooamotoo, _Loubatta_,
Komongoraffa, Fonooalaiee, _Oloo_,
Kotoolooa, Tattahoi, _Takounove_,
Kologobeele, Latte, _Kapaoo_,
Kollokolahee, _Neuafo, Kovooeea_,
Matageefaia, _Feejee, Kongaireekee_;
Mallajee, _Oowaia, Tafeedoowaia_,
Mallalahee, _Kongaiarahoi, Hamoa_,
Gonoogoolaiee, _Kotoobooo, Neeootabootaboo_,
Toonabai, _Komotte, Fotoona_,
Konnevy, _Komoarra, Vytooboo_,
Konnevao, _Kolaiva, Lotooma_,
Moggodoo, _Kofoona, Toggelao_,
Looamoggo, _Konnagillelaivoo, Talava_.

I have not the least doubt that Prince William's Islands, discovered and
so named by Tasman, are included in the foregoing list. For while we lay
at Hapaee, one of the natives told me, that three or four days sail from
thence to the N.W., there was a cluster of small islands, consisting of
upwards of forty. This situation corresponds very well with that
assigned in the accounts we have of Tasman's voyage, to his Prince
William's Islands.[174]

[Footnote 174: Tasman saw eighteen or twenty of these small islands,
every one of which was surrounded with sands, shoals, and rocks. They
are also called in some charts, Heemskirk's Banks. See Dalrymple's
Collection of Voyages to the South Pacific Ocean, vol. ii. p. 38, and
Campbell's edition of Harris's, vol. i. p. 325.--D.]

We have also very good authority to believe that Keppel's and
Boscawen's Island, two of Captain Wallis's discoveries in 1765, are
comprehended in our list; and that they are not only well known to these
people, but are under the same sovereign. The following information
seemed to me decisive as to this: Upon my enquiring one day of Poulaho,
the king, in what manner the inhabitants of Tongataboo had acquired the
knowledge of iron, and from what quarter they had procured a small iron
tool which I had seen amongst them when I first visited their island,
during my former voyage, he informed me, that they had received this
iron from an island which he called Neeootabootaboo. Carrying my
enquiries further, I then desired to know whether he had ever been
informed from whom the people of Neeootabootaboo had got it. I found him
perfectly acquainted with its history. He said that one of those
islanders sold a club for five nails, to a ship which had touched there,
and that these five nails afterward were sent to Tongataboo. He added,
that this was the first iron known amongst them, so that what Tasman
left of that metal must have been worn out, and forgot long ago. I was
very particular in my enquiries about the situation, size, and form of
the island; expressing my desire to know when this ship had touched
there, how long she staid, and whether any more were in company. The
leading facts appeared to be fresh in his memory. He said that there was
but one ship; that she did not come to an anchor, but left the island
after her boat had been on shore. And from many circumstances which he
mentioned, It could not be many years since this had happened. According
to his information, there are two islands near each other, which he
himself had been at. The one he described as high and peaked, like Kao,
and he called it Kootahee; the other, where the people of the ship
landed, called Neeootabootaboo, he represented as much lower. He added,
that the natives of both are the same sort of people with those of
Tongataboo, built their canoes in the same manner, that their islands
had hogs and fowls, and in general the same vegetable productions. The
ship so pointedly referred to in this conversation, could be no other
than the Dolphin; the only single ship from Europe, as far as we have
ever learned, that had touched of late years at any island in this part
of the Pacific Ocean, prior to my former visit of the Friendly
Islands.[175]