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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[Footnote 175: See Captain Wallis's Voyage in this Collection, vol. xii.
Captain Wallis calls both these islands high ones. But the superior
height of one of them may be inferred, from his saying, that it appears
like a sugar-loaf. This strongly marks its resemblance to Kao. From
comparing Poulaho's intelligence to Captain Cook, with Captain Wallis's
account, it seems to be past all doubt that Boscawen's Island is our
Kotahee, and Keppel's Island our Neeootabootaboo. The last is one of the
large islands marked in the foregoing list. The reader, who has been
already apprized of the variations of our people in writing down what
the natives pronounced, will hardly doubt that Kottejeea and Kootahee
are the same.--D.]

But the most considerable islands in this neighbourhood that we now
heard of, (and we heard a great deal about them,) are Hamoa, Vavaoo, and
Feejee. Each of these was represented to us as larger than Tongataboo.
No European that we know of, has, as yet, seen any of them. Tasman,
indeed, lays down in his chart an island nearly in the situation where,
I suppose Vavaoo to be, that is about the latitude of 91 deg..[176] But then
that island is there marked as a very small one, whereas Vavaoo,
according to the united testimony of all our friends at Tongataboo,
exceeds the size of their own island, and has high mountains, I should
certainly have visited it, and have accompanied Feenou from Hapaee, if
he had not then discouraged me, by representing it to be very
inconsiderable, and without any harbour. But Poulaho, the king,
afterward assured me that it was a large island; and that it not only
produced every thing in common with Tongataboo, but had the peculiar
advantage of possessing several streams of fresh water, with as good a
harbour as that which we found at his capital island. He offered to
attend me if I would visit it; adding, that if I did not find every
thing agreeing with his representation, I might kill him. I had not the
least doubt of the truth of his intelligence; and was satisfied that
Feenou, from some interested view, attempted to deceive me.

[Footnote 176: Neither Dalrymple nor Campbell, in their accounts of
Tasman's voyage, take any particular notice of his having seen such an
island. The chart here referred to by Captain Cook, is probably Mr
Dalrymple's, in his Collection of Voyages, where Tasman's track is
marked accurately; and several very small spots of land are laid down in
the situation here mentioned.--D.]

Hamoa, which is also under the dominion of Tongataboo, lies two days
sail N.W. from Vavaoo; it was described to me as the largest of all
their islands, as affording harbours and good water, and as producing in
abundance every article of refreshment found at the places we visited.
Poulaho himself frequently resides there. It should seem that the people
of this island are in high estimation at Tongataboo; for we were told
that some of the songs and dances with which we were entertained, had
been copied from theirs; and we saw some houses said to be built after
their fashion. Mr Anderson, always inquisitive about such matters,
learnt the three following words of the dialect of Hamoa;

_Tamolao_,[177] a chief man.
_Tamaety_, a chief woman.
_Solle_, a common man.

Feejee, as we were told, lies three days sail from Tongataboo, in the
direction of N.W. by W. It was described to us as a high, but very
fruitful island, abounding with hogs, dogs, fowls, and all the kinds of
fruit and roots that are found in any of the others, and as much larger
than Tongataboo; to the dominion of which, as was represented, to us, it
is not subject, as the other islands of this archipelago are. On the
contrary, Feejee and Tongataboo frequently make war upon each other. And
it appeared from several circumstances, that the inhabitants of the
latter are much afraid of this enemy. They used to express their sense
of their own inferiority to the Feejee men by bending the body forward,
and covering the face with their hands. And it is no wonder that they
should be under this dread; for those of Feejee are formidable on
account of the dexterity with which they use their bows and slings, but
much more so on account of the savage practice to which they are
addicted, like those of New Zealand, of eating their enemies whom they
kill in battle. We were satisfied that this was not a misrepresentation;
for we met with several Feejee people at Tongataboo, and, on enquiring
of them, they did not deny the charge.

[Footnote 177: In two or three preceding notes, extracts have been made
from the Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, as marking a strong
resemblance between some of the customs of the inhabitants of the
Caroline Islands, and those which Captain Cook describes as prevailing
at an immense distance, in the islands which he visited in the South
Pacific Ocean. Possibly, however, the presumption arising from this
resemblance, that all these islands were peopled by the same nation, or
tribe, may be resisted, under the plausible pretence, that customs very
similar prevail amongst very distant people, without inferring any other
common source, besides the general principles of human nature, the same
in all ages, and every part of the globe. The reader, perhaps, will not
think this pretence applicable to the matter before us, if he attends to
the following very obvious distinction: Those customs which have their
foundation in wants that are common to the whole human species, and
which are confined to the contrivance of means to relieve those wants,
may well be supposed to bear a strong resemblance, without warranting
the conclusion, that they who use them have copied each other, or have
derived them from one common source; human sagacity being the same every
where, and the means adapted to the relief of any particular natural
want, especially in countries similarly uncultivated, being but few.
Thus the most distant tribes, as widely separated as the Kamtschadales
are from the Brazilians, may produce their fire by rubbing two sticks
upon each other, without giving us the least foundation for supposing,
that either of them imitated the other, or derived the invention from a
source of instruction common to both. But this seems not to be the case,
with regard to those customs to which no general principle of human
nature has given birth, and which have their establishment solely from
the endless varieties of local whim and national fashion. Of this latter
kind, those customs obviously are, that belong both to the North and to
the South Pacific Islands, from which we would infer, that they were
originally one nation; and the men of Mangeea, and the men of the New
Philippines, who pay their respects to a person whom they mean to
honour, by rubbing his hand over their faces, bid fair to have learnt
their mode of salutation in the same school. But if this observation
should not have removed the doubts of the sceptical refiner, probably he
will hardly venture to persist in denying the identity of race,
contended for in the present instance, when he shall observe, that, to
the proof drawn from affinity of customs, we have it in our power to add
that most unexceptionable one, drawn from affinity of language.
_Tamoloa_, we now know, is the word used at Hamoa, one of the Friendly
Islands, to signify a chief: And whoever looks into the Lettres
Edifiantes et Curieuses, will see this is the very name by which the
inhabitants of the Caroline Islands distinguish their principal men. We
have, in two preceding notes, inserted passages from Father Cantova's
account of them, where their _Tamoles_ are spoken of; and he repeats the
word at least a dozen times in the course of a few pages. But I cannot
avoid transcribing from him, the following very decisive testimony,
which renders any other quotation superfluous:--"L'autoritie du
Gouvernement se partage entre plusieurs familles nobles, dont les Chefs
s'appellent _Tamoles_. Il y a outre cela, dans chaque province, un
principale _Tamole_, auquel tous les autres sont soumis."--Lettres
Edifiantes et Curieuses, tom, xv p. 312.--D.

Mr Faber, in a prospectus to his work on Pagan Idolatry, has availed
himself of the important principle contained in this note, to infer a
common origin from the peculiar resemblance of religious opinions and
ceremonies among the various systems of paganism. His reasoning is
precisely the same as that which is used in tracing the descent of
nations, and it is very distinctly stated by him in the following
passage:--"Things, in themselves not _arbitrary_, prove nothing
whatsoever: And tribes may be alike hunters, and fishers, and bowmen,
though they have sprung from very different ancestors. But things, in
themselves _altogether arbitrary_, are acknowledged to form the basis of
a reasonable argument: And, if tribes are found to speak dialects of the
same language, and to be attached throughout to the same whimsical
customs, which are not deducible from _the nature of things_, but from
_pure caprice_ merely, _such _points of coincidence are commonly and
rationally thought to furnish a moral demonstration of the common origin
of those tribes." An objection to this reasoning instantly rises from a
denial of the notion, that any thing can be arbitrary, in which such a
limited being as man is concerned. A skilful opponent, in other words,
will move the previous question respecting man's free agency, and will
not move a step in consequences, till it be decided. Nay, even if it
were so, in favour of the highest claims which have ever been put in on
the side of liberty, still he might demur, and with good reason indeed,
till the fact of arbitrariness in any case, or cases, was ascertained.
Obviously, would he say, we are not entitled to make inferences from the
nature of things, till we are acquainted with it. But who, he would ask,
can with propriety say, his acquaintance with nature is so complete,
that he can at once, and without possibility of mistake, determine, what
does and what does not belong to it? It is to be feared, that a man has
but a bad case in hand, who, in order to establish its truth, must first
prove his own infallibility. Such an objection, therefore, as has been
now stated, is evidently not destitute of strength. But on the whole, a
careful examination will convince any unprejudiced person, that the
reasoning alluded to, is entitled to considerable regard, and yields
very probable deductions. Only let us not urge it too far, and let us by
all means recollect, that things which to lookers-on seem altogether
arbitrary, may nevertheless be accounted for by the agents themselves,
on principles which have their foundation in the common nature of our
species, independent of any casual communication or intercourse between
us.--E.]

Now that I am again led to speak of cannibals, let me ask those who
maintain, that the want of food first brings men to feed on human flesh,
what is it that induces the Feejee people to keep it up in the midst of
plenty? This practice is detested very much by those of Tongataboo, who
cultivate the friendship of their savage neighbours of Feejee,
apparently out of fear, though they sometimes venture to skirmish with
them on their own ground, and carry off red feathers as their booty,
which are in great plenty there, and, as has been frequently mentioned,
are in great estimation amongst our Friendly Islanders. When the two
islands are at peace, the intercourse between them seems to be pretty
frequent, though they have, doubtless, been but lately known to each
other; or we may suppose that Tongataboo, and its adjoining islands,
would have been supplied before this with a breed of dogs, which abound
at Feejee, and had not been introduced at Tongataboo so late as 1773,
when I first visited it. The natives of Feejee, whom we met with here,
were of a colour that was a full shade darker than that of the
inhabitants of the Friendly Islands in general. One of them had his left
ear slit, and the lobe was so distended, that it almost reached his
shoulder, which singularity I had met with at other islands of the South
Sea, during my second voyage. It appeared to me that the Feejee men whom
we now saw were much respected here, not only perhaps from the power and
cruel manner of their nation's going to war, but also from their
ingenuity. For they seem to excel the inhabitants of Tongataboo in that
respect, if we might judge from several specimens of their skill in
workmanship which we saw, such as clubs and spears, which were carved in
a very masterly manner, cloth beautifully chequered, variegated mats,
earthen pots, and some other articles, all which had a cast of
superiority in the execution.

I have mentioned that Feejee lies three days sail from Tongataboo,
because these people have no other method of measuring the distance from
island to island, but by expressing the time required to make the voyage
in one of their canoes. In order to ascertain this with some precision,
or at least to form some judgment how far these canoes can sail in a
moderate gale in any given time, I went on board one of them, when under
sail, and, by several trials with the log, found that she went seven
knots, or miles, in an hour, close hauled, in a gentle gale. From this I
judge, that they will sail, on a medium, With such breezes as generally
blow in their sea, about seven or eight miles in an hour. But the
length of each day is not to be reckoned at twenty-four hours. For when
they speak of one day's sail, they mean no more than from the morning to
the evening of the same day, that is, ten or twelve hours at most. And
two days sail with them signifies from the morning of the first day to
the evening of the second, and so for any other number of days. In these
navigations, the sun is their guide by day, and the stars by night. When
these are obscured, they have recourse to the points from whence the
winds and the waves came upon the vessel. If during the obscuration,
both the wind and the waves should shift, (which, within the limits of
the trade-wind seldom happens at any other time,) they are then
bewildered, frequently miss their intended port, and are never heard of
more. The history of Omai's countrymen, who were driven, to Wateeoo,
leads us to infer, that those not heard of are not always lost.

Of all the harbours and anchoring places I have met with among these
islands, that of Tongataboo is by far the best, not only on account of
its great security, but of its capacity, and of the goodness of its
bottom. The risk that we ran in entering it from the north, ought to be
a sufficient caution to every future commander, not to attempt that
passage again with a ship of burden, since the other, by which we left
it, is so much more easy and safe. To sail into it by this eastern
channel, steer in for the N.E. point of the island, and keep along the
north shore, with the small isles on your starboard, till you are the
length of the east point of the entrance into the _lagoon_, then edge
over for the reef of the small isles, and, on following its direction,
it will conduct you through between Makkahaa and Monoofai, or the fourth
and fifth isles, which you will perceive to lie off the west point of
the _lagoon_. Or you may go between the third and fourth islands, that
is, between Pangimodoo and Monooafai, but this channel is much narrower
than the other. There runs a very strong tide in both. The flood, as I
have observed before, comes in from the N.W., and the ebb returns the
same way; but I shall speak of the tides in another place. As soon as
you are through either of these channels, haul in for the shore of
Tongataboo, and anchor between it and Pangimodoo, before a creek leading
into the _lagoon_, into which boats can go at half flood.

Although Tongataboo has the best harbour, Annamooka furnishes the best
water, and yet it cannot be called good. However, by digging holes near
the side of the pond, we can get what may be called tolerable. This
island too is the best situated for drawing refreshments from all the
others, as being nearly in the centre of the whole group. Besides the
road in which we anchored, and the harbour within the south-west point,
there is a creek in the reef before the eastern sandy cove, on the north
side of the island, in which two or three ships may lie very securely by
mooring head and stern, with their anchors or moorings fast to the
rocks.

I have already described the Hepaee Islands, and shall only add to that
description, by mentioning that they extend S.W. by S., and N.E. by N.,
about nineteen miles. The north end lies in the latitude of 19 deg. 39" S.,
and 33' of longitude to the east of Annamooka. Between them are a great
many small islands, sand-banks, and breakers; so, that, the safest way
to arrive at Hepaee, is either by the course I held, or round by the
north, according to the situation of the ship bound thither. Lefooga,
off which we anchored, is the most fertile isle of those that are called
Hepaee, and consequently is the best inhabited. There is anchorage along
the north-west side of this island; but it will be necessary to examine
the ground well before you moor. For, although the lead may bring up
fine sand, there are nevertheless some sharp coral rocks, that would
soon destroy the cables.

What has been here omitted concerning the geography of these islands,
will be found in the narrative of my last voyage. To that narrative I
must also refer, for such particulars concerning the inhabitants, their
manners, and arts, as I had observed then, and about which I saw no
reason to change my judgment. At present, I shall confine myself to such
interesting particulars, as either were not mentioned in that narrative,
or were imperfectly or incorrectly represented there, and to such as may
serve to explain some passages in the foregoing account of our
transactions with the natives.

It may, indeed, be expected, that after spending between two and three
months amongst them, I should be enabled to clear up every difficulty,
and to give a tolerably satisfactory account of their customs, opinions,
and institutions, both civil and religious, especially as we had a
person on board, who might be supposed qualified to act the part of an
interpreter, by understanding their language and ours. But poor Omai was
very deficient. For unless the object or thing we wanted to enquire
about, was actually before us, we found it difficult to gain a tolerable
knowledge of it from information only, without falling into a hundred
mistakes; and to such mistakes Omai was more liable than we were. For,
having no curiosity, he never gave himself the trouble to make remarks
for himself; and, when he was disposed to explain matters to us, his
ideas appeared to be so limited, and perhaps so different from ours,
that his accounts were often so confused, as to perplex instead of
instructing us. Add to this, that it was very rare that we found amongst
the natives, a person who united the ability and the inclination to give
us the information we wanted; and we found, that most of them hated to
be troubled with what they probably thought idle questions. Our
situation at Tongataboo, where we remained the longest, was like-wise
unfavourable. It was in a part of the country where there were few
inhabitants, except fishers. It was always holiday with our visitors, as
well as with those we visited; so that we had but few opportunities of
observing what was really the domestic way of living of the natives.
Under these disadvantages, it is not surprising that we should not be
able to bring away with us satisfactory accounts of many things; but
some of us endeavoured to remedy those disadvantages by diligent
observation, and I am indebted to Mr Anderson for a considerable share
of what follows in this and in the following section. In other matters,
I have only expressed, nearly in his own words, remarks that coincided
with mine; but what relates to the religion and language of these people
is entirely his own.

The natives of the Friendly Islands seldom exceed the common stature
(though we have measured some who were above six feet), but are very
strong and well-made, especially as to their limbs. They are generally
broad about the shoulders, and though the muscular disposition of the
men, which seems a consequence of much action, rather conveys the
appearance of strength than of beauty, there are several to be seen who
are really handsome. Their features are very various, insomuch, that it
is scarcely possible to fix on any general likeness by which to
characterize them, unless it be a fullness at the point of the nose,
which is very common. But, on the other hand, we met with hundreds of
truly European faces, and many genuine Roman noses amongst them. Their
eyes and teeth are good; but the last neither so remarkably white nor so
well set, as is often found amongst Indian nations; though to balance
that, few of them have any uncommon thickness about the lips, a defect
as frequent as the other perfection.

The women are not so much distinguished from the men by their features,
as by their general form, which is, for the most part, destitute of that
strong fleshy firmness that appears in the latter. Though the features
of some are so delicate, as not only to be a true index of their sex,
but to lay claim to a considerable share of beauty and expression, the
rule is by no means so general as in many other countries. But, at the
same time, this is frequently the most exceptionable part; for the
bodies and limbs of most of the females, are well proportioned, and some
absolutely perfect models of a beautiful figure. But the most remarkable
distinction in the women, is the uncommon smallness and delicacy of
their fingers, which may be put in competition with the finest in
Europe.

The general colour is a cast deeper than the copper brown; but several
of the men and women have a true olive complexion, and some of the last
are even a great deal fairer, which is probably the effect of being less
exposed to the sun, as a tendency to corpulence, in a few of the
principal people, seems to be the consequence of a more indolent life.
It is also amongst the last, that a soft clear skin is most frequently
observed. Amongst the bulk of the people, the skin is more commonly of a
dull hue, with some degree of roughness, especially the parts that are
not covered, which perhaps may be occasioned by some cutaneous disease.
We saw a man and boy at Hepaee, and a child at Annamooka, perfectly
white. Such have been found amongst all black nations; but I apprehend
that their colour is rather a disease, than a natural phenomenon.

There are nevertheless, upon the whole, few natural defects or
deformities to be found amongst them, though we saw two or three with
their feet bent inward, and some afflicted with a sort of blindness,
occasioned by a disease of the _cornea_. Neither are they exempt from
some other diseases. The most common of which is the tetter, or
ring-worm, that seems to affect almost one half of them, and leaves
whitish serpentine marks every where behind it. But this is of less
consequence than another disease which is very frequent, and appears on
every part of the body in large broad ulcers, with thick white edges,
discharging a clear thin matter, some of which had a very virulent
appearance, particularly those on the face, which were shocking to look
at. And yet we met with some who seemed to be cured of it, and others in
a fair way of being cured; but this was not effected without the loss of
the nose, or of the best part of it. As we know for a certainty, (and
the fact is acknowledged by themselves), that the people of these
islands were subject to this loathsome disease before the English first
visited them, notwithstanding the similarity of symptoms, it cannot be
the effect of the venereal contagion, unless we adopt a supposition,
which I could wish had a sufficient foundation in truth, that the
venereal disorder was not introduced here from Europe by our ships in
1773. It assuredly was now found to exist amongst them, for we had not
been long there, before some of our people received the infection; and I
had the mortification to learn from thence, that all the care I took
when I first visited these islands to prevent this dreadful disease from
being communicated to their inhabitants, had proved ineffectual. What is
extraordinary, they do not seem to regard it much; and as we saw few
signs of its destroying effects, probably the climate, and the way of
living of these people, greatly abate its virulence. There are two other
diseases frequent amongst them; one of which is an indolent firm
swelling, which affects the legs and arms, and increases them to an
extraordinary size in their whole length. The other is a tumour of the
same sort in the testicles, which sometimes exceed the size of the two
fists. But, in other respects, they may be considered as uncommonly
healthy, not a single person having been seen, during our stay, confined
to the house by sickness of any kind. On the contrary, their strength
and activity are every way answerable to their muscular appearance; and
they exert both, in their usual employment and in their diversions, in
such a manner, that there can be no doubt of their being; as yet, little
debilitated by the numerous diseases that are the consequence of
indolence, and an unnatural method of life.