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Title: A Narrative of the Shipwreck, Captivity and Sufferings of Horace Holden and Benj. H. Nute

Author: Horace Holden

Release date: April 16, 2010 [eBook #32012]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Richard J. Shiffer and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NARRATIVE OF THE SHIPWRECK, CAPTIVITY AND SUFFERINGS OF HORACE HOLDEN AND BENJ. H. NUTE ***

Transcriber's Note

Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other inconsistencies. Text that has been changed to correct an obvious error is noted at the end of this ebook.

A NARRATIVE

OF THE

SHIPWRECK,

CAPTIVITY AND SUFFERINGS

OF

HORACE HOLDEN AND BENJ. H. NUTE;

WHO WERE CAST AWAY IN THE

AMERICAN SHIP MENTOR,

ON THE

PELEW ISLANDS,

IN THE YEAR 1832;

AND FOR TWO YEARS AFTERWARDS WERE SUBJECTED TO
UNHEARD OF SUFFERINGS AMONG THE BARBAROUS
INHABITANTS OF

LORD NORTH'S ISLAND.

BY HORACE HOLDEN.

BOSTON:
RUSSELL, SHATTUCK, AND CO.
1836.

entered according to act of congress, in the year 1836,
By HORACE HOLDEN.
in the clerk's office of the district court of massachusetts.

STEREOTYPED BY
SHEPARD, OLIVER, AND CO.

TO

JOHN PICKERING, ESQ.

Of Boston,

AND TO

WILLIAM R. RODMAN, ESQ.

Of New Bedford,

To whom the author is under the greatest
obligations for their countenance and assistance,
this little work is gratefully
INSCRIBED

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS OF TATTOOING. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS OF TATTOOING.

PREFACE.

The islands now known by geographers under the general name of Polynesia, have for some time past attracted the attention of the scientific and commercial world. Few opportunities, however, occur of obtaining information respecting any of them except those which are resorted to for commercial purposes. With a view, therefore, to the collecting of all the necessary materials for the history of their soil, climate, productions, and other particulars, especially of such of them as have not already been visited by the civilized people of Europe and America, it is desirable to preserve all authentic accounts of them, even of those which are of inferior importance.

The following unpretending Narrative contains such an account of one of them, commonly called Lord North's Island, but sometimes known by the name of Nevil's Island and Johnston's Island. It is situated in about lat. 3° 2¾' N., and, according to the most correct calculations, about long. 131° 4¼' E.

This island has been stated, in geographical works of authority, to be uninhabited; but Horsburg's India Directory (vol. ii. p. 497, edit. of 1827) correctly says it is inhabited, and that the natives "will sometimes come off to ships passing near." And it will accordingly be found, by the present Narrative, that it has a population of between three and four hundred inhabitants, as nearly as could be estimated by the American seamen, whose captivity and sufferings are the subject of this work; the island itself being, according to their judgment also, about three quarters of a mile long and half a mile in breadth.

The materials of this Narrative were furnished by Horace Holden, one of the seamen above mentioned, who, with his companion, Benjamin Nute, was detained as a captive by the islanders for two years; during which time he and his companion acquired the language so far as to converse in it with ease. This afforded them the means of knowing and observing many things which would escape the mere passing voyager; and whatever statements are here made, the editor has every reason to believe may be entirely relied upon.

In order to complete the little collection of facts in relation to this people—who may justly be called a new people, as no white man has ever before been upon their territory—a specimen of their language is added to the Narrative. This has been made under many disadvantages; but no small labor has been bestowed upon it, in order to render it of use, so far as was practicable, in elucidating the affinity of these islanders to others in that quarter of the world. It is now universally agreed among the learned, that language affords the surest test of the affinities of nations; and it is greatly to be desired that more attention should be bestowed upon this subject by the intelligent navigators of the United States, and especially by the scientific young men of our navy, who, under the permission of the government, would have the most ample means of augmenting the stores of general science, while at the same time they would confer honor upon their country.

The editor forbears to add any thing further in relation to the contents of this little volume. But he cannot dismiss the work without again expressing the high sense of gratitude felt by the two seamen in question, to the benevolent individuals of their own country, and others, who have relieved their sufferings; and this he subjoins in an extract from a note on that subject by H. Holden:—

"In addition to the gentlemen mentioned in the Narrative, we are under great obligations to Mr. Stephen Oliphant and his son, and their clerk, of New York, who were residents at Canton when we arrived there. Mr. Oliphant kindly furnished us with a room, food, and other necessaries, and gave us our passage from Canton to New York in his ship called the Morrison, commanded by captain Lavender, from whom also we experienced every attention.

"The respected American missionary at Canton, Mr. Edwin Stevens, rendered us many friendly services; and from the English physician, who was formerly in the East India Company's service there, but whose name I do not recollect, we received every attention and medical aid that could have been bestowed on his nearest friends.

"We are also much indebted to Mr. Bradford and Mr. Robert E. Apthorp, both of Boston, for their many acts of kindness. To the latter gentleman, then a resident at Canton, I cannot sufficiently express my obligations; he interested himself much in obtaining money, clothing, and other necessaries for us, to make our situation comfortable during our stay in Canton and on our passage home.

"To the many friends whom we have found since our return to our own country we can never be sufficiently grateful. Among these I cannot omit to mention Mr. J. N. Reynolds, author of the interesting Account of the Voyage of the Potomac, who has taken the most lively interest in our case, and Mr. Joseph P. Bradley, of Boston, to whose untiring zeal and benevolence I feel myself to be indebted more than I am able to express.

HORACE HOLDEN"

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Equipment and departure of the ship Mentor from the port of New Bedford, Massachusetts.—The ship's company.—Arrival at Fayal.—Passage down the Cape de Verd islands, and round the cape of Good Hope, to the Indian ocean.—Cruising among the islands, and arrival at the port of Coupang, in Timor.—A violent storm.—The ship strikes on a coral reef off the Pelew islands.—Alarm and distressing situation of the ship's company, and sudden loss of eleven of their number.—The survivors preserved upon a dry part of the reef13

CHAPTER II.

The situation of the survivors of the ship's company upon the reef during the night.—A canoe filled with savage natives approaches the reef; intercourse with them; and description of their persons and terrific appearance.—Their pilfering of the articles saved, and plundering of the ship.—Several canoes arrive.—Mr. Nute's resolute conduct towards the natives.—The ship's company pursue their course, in their boat, towards an island, on which they land after severe suffering 29

CHAPTER III.

A canoe, with two natives, approaches the island.—Communication opened with them.—A great number of canoes, filled with armed natives, suddenly arrive; rough treatment of the captain by one of the chiefs.—They all arrive at the harbor of the island, which proved to be one of the Pelew islands.—Description of the island and its inhabitants.—Consultation of the chiefs respecting the ship's company.—Result of the consultation41

CHAPTER IV.

An extraordinary and unexpected meeting with a person not a native.—Happy result of the meeting.—Acquisition of the Pelew language.—Dissensions between two portions of the natives.—Three of the ship's company separated and carried to a place remote from the rest.—Attempt to construct a boat, in order to leave the island.—The natives agree to release them all for a compensation.—Solemnities observed by the natives on the occasion.—Tools used in making the boat; transportation of timber, &c.—The plan abandoned, and a canoe substituted for the boat.—Another festival55

CHAPTER V.

The natives become anxious to aid the ship's company in leaving the island.—Terms on which they agreed to release them.—Departure from the Pelew islands.—Necessity of returning the same night.—Detention a month longer; and final departure68

CHAPTER VI.

Regret at having undertaken the voyage in boats.—Storm, and damage in consequence of it.—Loss of the canoe and the provisions on board.—Danger of perishing from famine.—On the fifteenth day, when nearly exhausted with fatigue and hunger, they discover a small island.—Approach of eighteen canoes filled with natives, who make prisoners of them all.—Cruelty of the natives; and return with their prisoners to the island.—Reception there.—The prisoners distributed among the captors74

CHAPTER VII.

The island, to which they were carried, proves to be Lord North's island, called by the natives To´bee.—Account of the island and its inhabitants.—Their manners and customs81

CHAPTER VIII.

A ship discovered at a small distance from the island.—The natives prepare to go on board of her.—Captain Barnard and Bartlet Rollins, after being severely beaten, are allowed to go with the natives in their canoes, and thus effect their escape; the rest of the Mentor's people are still forcibly detained on the island.—Their hopes of being taken on board of the same ship are suddenly blasted.—Their despondency on that disappointment.—Return of the natives from the ship; their rage, and quarrels about the division of the articles procured on board of her.—They threaten to wreak their vengeance on the Mentor's people that remained with them.—Their cruel treatment of them.—A storm destroys the cocoa-nut trees and causes a scarcity of food95

CHAPTER IX.

The natives compel the Mentor's people to be tattooed.—Description of that painful operation.—They also oblige them to pluck their beards, &c.—Another vessel passes by the island; and, afterwards, a third comes in sight and remains for three days; the Mentor's people are closely guarded at these times.—The melancholy fate of William Sedon; and the barbarous murder of Peter Andrews.—Attack on H. Holden, who is protected by one of the natives, and escapes.—B. Nute and others are protected by the female natives from the fury of the men.—Death of one of the Pelew chiefs.—Another of the Pelew people is detected in stealing, and is punished in their manner.—Death of Milton Hewlet and Charles C. Bouket; leaving now only B. Nute, H. Holden, and the other Pelew chief, named Kobak, who all remained in a feeble and helpless condition.—Filthy practices of the natives.—Friendship of the surviving Pelew chief101

CHAPTER X.

The feeble and exhausted condition of the survivors, Nute and Holden.—The natives consent to release them from labor, but refuse them food; and they obtain permission to leave the island in the first vessel, for a compensation to be made to the natives.—They crawl about from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and occasionally begging a little food of the natives, for two months.—Their sudden joy at hearing of a vessel coming towards the island.—It proves to be the British barque Britannia, captain Short, bound to Canton.—They are taken on board the Britannia, November 27, 1834, and treated with the kindest attention.—Their joy and gratitude at this happy termination of their sufferings.—They gradually recover their health so far as to take passage for America, in the ship Morrison, bound for New York, where they arrive May 5, 1835.—Acknowledgments for their kind reception at New York and Boston111

NARRATIVE, &c.

CHAPTER I.

Equipment and departure of the ship Mentor from the port of New Bedford, Massachusetts.—The ship's company.—Arrival at Fayal.—Passage down the Cape de Verd islands, and round the cape of Good Hope, to the Indian ocean.—Cruising among the islands, and arrival at the port of Coupang, in Timor.—A violent storm.—The ship strikes on a coral reef off the Pelew islands.—Alarm and distressing situation of the ship's company, and sudden loss of eleven of their number.—The survivors preserved upon a dry part of the reef.

I was born in the town of Hillsborough, in the state of New Hampshire, on the 21st of July, 1810. My father's name was Phineas Holden. My parents were in moderate circumstances, and derived their chief support from a small farm. From the time to which my earliest recollections extend, until I was about ten years of age, our little circle, consisting of our parents, their three sons and two daughters, enjoyed a large share of the pleasures of a New England home. We were all accustomed to labor, but our exertions to secure a respectable maintenance were richly rewarded by each other's approving smiles, and by that contentment, without which blessings, however great or numerous, are bestowed upon us in vain.

But, in early life, and in the midst of our enjoyments, we were called upon to experience a loss which nothing on earth can supply. My father, after a painful sickness of long continuance, died, and left us with no other earthly protector than our affectionate mother; who, had her ability and means been adequate to our support, or equal to her maternal fondness and anxiety, would have saved us from every hardship, and supplied all our reasonable desires. But, having no means of support except our own industry, we were at that tender age thrown upon the world, and compelled to provide for ourselves as Providence might best enable us. I labored at different occupations until the age of twenty-one; when, finding myself unable, by reason of an impaired constitution, to do more than provide for myself, and feeling desirous to contribute my share towards the maintenance of our surviving parent, I resolved upon making the experiment of a voyage at sea.

I accordingly left the place of my nativity, sundered the many ties that bound me to home and friends, and, in July, 1831, entered on board the ship Mentor, at the port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, for a whaling voyage to the Indian ocean. The ship was owned by William R. Rodman, Esquire, an eminent merchant of that place, to whose benevolence, since my return home, I acknowledge myself to be deeply indebted. We sailed on the day of my enlistment; and I soon found myself upon the bosom of the great deep, and at the mercy of an element to which I had been but little accustomed.

The whole ship's company of the Mentor consisted of twenty-two; namely, Edward C. Barnard, captain; Thomas M. Colesworthy, first mate; Peter O'Connor, second mate; Benjamin F. Haskell, David Jenkins, and Jacob Fisher, boat-steerers; Peter Andrews, steward; John Mayo, cook; and Horatio Davis, Bartlet Rollins, William Jones, Thomas Taylor, Lewis Bergoin, Charles C. Bouket, Calvin Alden, Milton Hulet, William Sedon, James Meder, James Blackmore, John Baily, Benjamin H. Nute, (my companion in suffering,) and myself, seamen.

After leaving port, nothing remarkable occurred during the first part of our voyage. Having succeeded in obtaining a small quantity of oil, we touched at Fayal, one of the Azores, or Western islands, to leave the oil and replenish our stores. We left Fayal on the following day. Our course was down the Cape de Verd islands; and, without any accident worth relating, we passed round the cape of Good Hope, through the straits of Madagascar, and found ourselves in the Indian ocean.

We continued to cruise among the small islands for some time; but being unsuccessful in the object of our voyage, it was deemed advisable to make for Java. We ran the whole length of the island of Java, passing through the straits of Sandal-Wood Island, to the island of Timor, and touched at the port of Coupang, where we remained about five days, took in wood and water, and replenished our small stores. After leaving that place we attempted to pass through the straits of Timor, with a view of gaining the Pacific ocean; but owing to adverse winds, and the strong currents setting against us, we were compelled to abandon the undertaking; and accordingly altered our course. We intended to have touched at Ternate, the principal of the Moluccas or Spice islands; but we passed it, running down the island of Morty, (or Mortay) to its furthermost point. Seeing no port at which we could stop, we altered our course, intending to make for some of the Ladrone islands, which we knew to be in possession of the Spanish.

I must here observe, that soon after leaving the island of Mortay, there came on a violent storm, which lasted the whole of three days and nights. During all this time we were unable to take an observation. This led to the melancholy disaster, which was the commencement of misfortunes and sufferings, too great to be adequately conceived of by any but those who experienced them. The violence of the storm compelled us to take in all the sails except the top-sail, (which was close reefed,) foresail, and foretop-mast stay-sail.

We were sailing in this manner, not apprehending danger, when, about eleven o'clock at night, on the 21st of May, 1832, just at the time of relieving the watch, the ship struck with great violence upon what we afterwards found to be the coral reef extending to the northward and eastward of the Pelew islands. The ship ran directly upon the rocks, and struck three times in quick succession, the waves dashing over and around us with tremendous violence.

At this awful moment I was in my berth, in the steerage. When the ship struck the third time, so great was the shock that I was thrown from my berth against the opposite side of the steerage; but, soon recovering myself, I rushed upon deck. There all was confusion, horror and dismay. The ship, immediately after striking the third time, swung round so as to bring her starboard side to the windward, and was in a moment thrown upon her beam ends. While in this awful condition, with the waves continually breaking over us, threatening to overwhelm us in a watery grave, or dash us in pieces against the rocks, the captain came upon deck, and inquired of the second mate, "Where are we?" The reply was, "I don't know, but I think there is land to leeward." There was no time for deliberation; it seemed that the immediate destruction of the ship was inevitable.

In the midst of this confusion I heard the mate give orders for lowering the larboard quarter boat. His directions were immediately complied with, and ten of the crew threw themselves into it, thinking it more safe thus to commit themselves to the mercy of the waves, than to remain on board with the prospect of a certain and speedy termination of their existence. But there are reasons which force upon the mind the painful conviction, that their departure from the ship at that time proved fatal to them all. As the oars were fastened to the sides of the boat, some one asked for a knife or hatchet, with which to cut them loose. The request was complied with; and, quitting their hold upon the ship, they parted from us, and we never saw them more!

As some doubts have existed in the minds of those interested in the fate of our shipmates who took to the boat in the manner just described, it is deemed advisable here to state my reasons for entertaining the opinion above expressed. Far would it be from me to desire to extinguish any well-founded hopes of their having survived; but a knowledge of the following facts renders it too certain, that they must all have perished, soon after their departure from the ship. The next morning the remains of a boat in every respect similar to that in which they embarked, were distinctly seen on the rocks, at the distance of about fifty yards from the ship, bottom up, and with her sides stove in. The water being clear and shallow, we could see that she was held there by a harpoon and lance, which constituted a part of the fishing implements, or crafts, in the boat when she left. These were apparently stuck into the crevices of the coral rock (of which the whole reef is composed) either by accident or design; and the presumption is, that she became fast in that place, and that the waves swept that portion of our companions in suffering into a watery grave. But this, though a melancholy subject of reflection, is not without some circumstances of consolation; for, admitting that they thus met their fate, they were saved from that extremity of suffering which some of the ship's crew were destined to experience. Were such a death, or the pains of captivity endured by my associates and myself, to be the only alternatives, I have doubted whether I should not prefer the former. To be far from kindred and friends, among a people but one grade above the most ferocious beasts, sick at heart, and deprived of necessary food, stripped of our clothing, and subjected to unheard-of severities,—to endure all this, was to purchase a continuance of life at a dear rate.

Soon after the departure of the first boat, the captain, thinking it impossible for the ship to hold together till morning, ordered his own boat to be let down. This could be effected only by the united exertions of the whole of the remaining part of the crew. Some of the men, and myself among the rest, had resolved upon remaining on the ship to the last; and, considering it impossible for a boat to live, we earnestly expostulated with the captain, for the purpose of persuading him not to hazard the experiment. But he seemed to think it best to make it, and with great earnestness entreated the men to assist him in lowering his boat. As this was a time when but little attention could be paid to the distinctions usually kept up on board, I suggested that it might be well to cut away the masts, believing that this would relieve the ship, and cause her to lie easier upon the rock. This was the more necessary on account of her position being such as to render it next to impossible to let down the boat. The proposal was acceded to; and, seizing an axe, I assisted in cutting away the masts and rigging. This, to some extent, had the desired effect; and we were enabled, at length, by great exertion, to lower the boat. The captain, Charles C. Bouket, William Sedon, and William Jones, immediately placed themselves in it, and commenced preparing to leave us. In compliance with his request, a rope was fastened round the waist of the captain, so that should the boat be destroyed, as there was reason to apprehend she would be, there might be some chance of rescuing him from the waves. They were furnished with the necessary nautical instruments, log-book, a bag of clothing, a small quantity of bread in a tin tureen, and a keg of water. The boat was at this time suspended by her falls, and, with a view of letting themselves down, the captain stood in the stern, and Bouket in the forward part of the boat, both having hold of the falls. Sedon still held on by the boat's lashing. Jones had nothing in his hands. At this conjuncture, a tremendous sea broke into the boat, and dashed it in pieces;—so entire was the destruction, that not a fragment was afterwards seen. Jones was soon after seen floating in the water apparently dead. Sedon, in consequence of having hold of the boat's fastenings, saved himself by climbing into the ship. Bouket, being an expert swimmer, on finding himself in the sea, swam round to the leeward side of the ship, caught hold of some part of the rigging, and thus escaped. The captain was drifted away to the distance of nearly one hundred and fifty yards. It was with the utmost difficulty that we retained our hold on the rope which had been fastened to him; but at length we succeeded in drawing him in. On hearing his cries for assistance, forgetting our own danger, we redoubled our exertions, and soon drew him on board. He was much exhausted, but fortunately had received no fatal injury.

After the failure of this attempt, and having in so short a time lost one half our number, it was agreed upon, after due consultation to remain upon the wreck till daylight should reveal to us more fully our situation. In this state of suspense and suffering, we clung to the rigging, and with much difficulty kept ourselves from being washed away. Our situation and prospects during that awful night were such, that no ray of hope was permitted to penetrate the dreary prospect around us; our thoughts and feelings, wrought up to the highest degree of excitement by the horrors of our situation, continually visited the homes we had quitted,—probably forever,—and offered up prayers for the dear friends we had left behind. Every succeeding wave that dashed over us threatened to sweep us into an untried eternity; and while we impatiently awaited approaching day, we committed our spirits to Him who alone could control the raging elements.

At daybreak, we discovered that a part of the reef, apparently about three miles off to the leeward, was dry; and this, though but of small consequence, afforded us some comfort. In a short time we discovered land at the distance of twenty or thirty miles, in an eastwardly direction. This, though we were ignorant of the character of the inhabitants—if indeed it should turn out to be the residence of human beings—presented to our minds the possibility of escape; and without any delay we prepared, as well as we could, to abandon the vessel. There remained but one boat, and that was in a poor condition for conveying us, eleven in number, so great a distance. But, as no choice was left us, the boat was soon prepared; and when the sun was about two hours high, we had completed our arrangements. We took into the boat one small chest of bread, some water, a quantity of wearing apparel, a canister of gunpowder, one musket, a brace of pistols, three cutlasses, and a tinder-box. In this frail bark, and with these poor means of subsistence and defence, with little to rely upon but the mercy of Providence, we took leave of the ship; not without feelings of deep sorrow, and with small hopes of improving our forlorn condition.

On leaving the ship we steered directly for the reef above mentioned, and without much difficulty landed and drew up our boat. This proved to be, as we had previously conjectured, a part of the reef upon which we had been wrecked; and we soon ascertained that the portion of the rock above water was but about sixteen rods long, and quite narrow, but sufficiently large to afford us a secure footing for the little time we had to stay upon it. It was our first, and almost our only object, to remain here until we could render our arrangements more perfect, and either put to sea with less hazard, or make our passage to the land, which was still distinctly visible. As yet but little time had been afforded us for calm reflection; and it was now a question of serious importance, whether it would be most prudent to encounter the billows in the crazy boat which was our chief dependence, upon the open sea, with our scanty means of subsistence, or to throw ourselves into the hands, and upon the mercy of whatever race of beings might chance to inhabit the island. In favor of the former plan it was suggested that we might be seen, and taken up by some vessel cruising in those seas, and thus saved from captivity or death among a barbarous people; and, on the other hand, it was maintained, that a chance among the savages of those islands would be preferable to the risk of going to sea in a boat which was in all respects unseaworthy, and with only a few pounds of bread, and but little water, for our subsistence.

CHAPTER II.

The situation of the survivors of the ship's company upon the reef during the night.—A canoe filled with savage natives approaches the reef; intercourse with them; and description of their persons and terrific appearance.—Their pilfering of the articles saved, and plundering of the ship.—Several canoes arrive.—Mr. Nute's resolute conduct towards the natives.—The ship's company pursue their course, in their boat, towards an island, on which they land after severe suffering.

Happily, by the goodness of the allwise Disposer of events, the unfortunate can avail themselves of a thousand sources of comfort, which, by those in prosperous circumstances, are either overlooked or neglected. We were upon a barren rock, in the midst of a waste of waters, far from kindred and friends, and the abodes of civilized man; the ship which had been our home, and on board of which we had embarked with high hopes, lay within sight, a useless wreck; still we were enabled to enjoy a moment of relief, if not of actual pleasure, derived from an event, which, though trifling in itself, is worthy of being recorded.

We succeeded in taking an eel, a few crabs, and a small quantity of snails. Having our fire-works with us, we collected a sufficient number of sticks, with a few pieces of drift-wood which had lodged upon the rock, to make a fire; with this we cooked our fish and snails; and, with a small allowance of bread, we made what we then thought a sumptuous repast! After we had finished our meal, we began to prepare for the night. We erected a tent with some of our clothes and pieces of canvas, at a little distance from the boat; and, when night came on, a part of our number kept watch, and the rest soon lost all consciousness of their misfortunes in sleep. About midnight those who had watched took their turn at resting; and in the morning we found ourselves considerably refreshed; though an increased activity of our minds served only to bring home a more vivid picture of the horrors of the previous night, and of our present condition.

Providence, it would seem, had ordained that we should not long remain undetermined as to the course to be adopted; for before sunrise we discovered a canoe within a short distance of us, containing twenty-two of the inhabitants of the neighboring island. They approached to within pistol-shot of where we stood, and there lay on their oars for some time, looking at us, and manifesting no small degree of fear. Thinking it best to be on friendly terms with them, we attached a shirt to one of our oars, and hoisted it as a token of a wish, on our part, to regard and treat them as friends. This had the desired effect; and they immediately rowed up to the rock. Manifesting great pleasure, they left their canoe and rushed towards the place where the principal part of our boat's crew were standing, bringing with them cocoa-nuts, and a small quantity of bread made of the cocoa-nut boiled in a liquor extracted from the trunk of the tree. At that time, I was standing near the tent, at a little distance from my companions, and was an anxious spectator of the scene. Their appearance excited my astonishment, and I was filled with horror by the sight of beings apparently human, and yet almost destitute of the ordinary marks of humanity. They were entirely naked. Each one was armed with a spear and tomahawk; some had battle-axes. They were fantastically tattooed on different parts of their bodies. Their hair, naturally coarse and black, like that of the Indians of America, was very long, and hung loosely over their shoulders, giving them a singular and frightful appearance. Their teeth were entirely black; rendered so, as we afterwards found, by chewing what they call "abooak."[1] The reader can judge of our feelings on finding ourselves in the hands of beings of this description. Our confidence in the honesty of our visiters did not improve on further acquaintance.

No sooner had they landed, than they commenced their depredations upon the few articles, which at that time constituted all our earthly riches. The nautical instruments, the musket, and a part of our clothing, they immediately appropriated to their own benefit. Fortunately a part of our clothing, the powder, and the cutlasses we had succeeded in concealing in a crevice of the rock. Taking with them their booty, they precipitately got into their canoe, and, beckoning to us, evidently with a view of inducing us to follow them, they steered directly for the wreck. Their first appearance, and this strong manifestation of their thievish disposition, so far from inclining us to cultivate their acquaintance any further, had given us an irresistible inclination to avoid them. Our minds were not long in coming to the conclusion, that an open sea, with Heaven to protect us, would be far preferable to a chance among beings like those. Accordingly, with the least possible delay, we launched our boat, and putting into it such things of value as we had saved, once more, surrounded by new difficulties and dangers, committed ourselves to the mercy of the waves.

The island before mentioned being now distinctly visible, we steered in a direction towards it; though we found it necessary to go a somewhat circuitous course, in order to avoid the reef. By the time we had succeeded in getting into deep water, the natives had been to the ship, and were returning with the five muskets which we had left on board. They soon passed us with great rapidity, and evidently with the intention of escaping with their booty unharmed. The cause of their precipitancy will soon be explained.

Just at this time there came in sight a number of canoes, perhaps thirty, filled with natives, who seemed no less intent upon plunder than those with whom we had already formed a disagreeable acquaintance. Their language was to us entirely unintelligible, but we could gather from their somewhat significant gestures, that they most of all desired to possess themselves of fire-arms. They beckoned to us to go with them, and seemed quite anxious to avail themselves of our assistance; but we were not less so to escape; and with the hope of being able to do so, we continued to row towards the island. Some of them remained near us, while the rest made for the ship. At length, all, except those in one canoe, left us, and joined their companions. These seemed particularly fond of our company, partly on account, as we afterwards learned, of their suspecting that we had something of value concealed about us, and partly for the purpose of making us their prisoners, and in that way gaining some advantage over the others. After a while they offered, with an appearance of friendship, to render us some assistance by towing our boat; and after some deliberation we concluded to throw them a line. This greatly facilitated our progress, as their canoe, being made very light, skimmed over the water with incredible swiftness. No sooner was this arrangement completed than a chief, and one other of the natives, left their canoe and took their station with us; the chief with a somewhat offensive familiarity seating himself in the stern of the boat, near the captain. We were not long in doubt concerning the motive which had led them to this act of condescension. Our bread was contained in a small chest, which had been placed in the bottom of the boat; this seemed to have excited their curiosity to the highest pitch, as they kept their eyes almost constantly upon it, and endeavored to persuade the captain to give them a chance to examine its contents. He declined gratifying them, thinking it better to keep their anxiety alive, rather than to expose to them the comparative worthlessness of the little that remained with us, of either the comforts or necessaries of life.

Probably owing to this show of resistance on our part, when we had approached to within five or six miles of the island, at a signal given by the chief, the sail of their canoe was suddenly dropped; and, seizing our powder canister, he jumped overboard and swam to the canoe. His companion, following the example of the thievish chief, seized a bundle of clothing and was making off with it; whereupon Mr. Nute, who had not yet become entirely reconciled to the fashion of going without clothes, like our new acquaintances, and conceiving that it might be well to insist upon having the rights of property respected, caught hold of the bundle and retained it. Upon this they immediately hauled us alongside, and seized upon our oars; here again we had occasion to offer some resistance to their supposed right to plunder us, and we succeeded in keeping possession of these; the only remaining means of saving ourselves from premature death and a watery grave.

They had by this time become so exasperated, that we considered it altogether desirable to get ourselves out of the reach of their war clubs, spears, and battle-axes; and we took measures accordingly. We were still held fast to their canoe, and so completely within their reach that it required not a little courage to make any attempt to leave them; but Mr. Nute, whose resolution had been wrought up by the previous contest, took a knife and deliberately cut the line. Our intention was to throw ourselves astern, and then, by tacking directly about, and steering in the wind's eye, to escape from them, or at least to give them, for a time, some better employment than that of robbing their poor and suffering victims. This we succeeded in accomplishing; not however without the expense of much toil, and some blows, which they dealt out at parting, with so much severity, that we shall not soon lose the recollection of their barbarous conduct towards us. Mr. Nute, by his intrepidity, seemed to have rendered himself an object of their particular dislike; they beat him unmercifully, for his resolution in retaining the bundle of clothes, and sundering the only cord that bound us to our tormentors.

Having but three oars, our progress was by no means as rapid as we could have desired; but perceiving that in going against the wind we had the advantage of our pursuers, and knowing that our only safety was in flight, we exerted our utmost strength, and soon had the satisfaction of leaving them at a safe distance from us. They seemed determined not to part with us, and continued to pursue us till about four o'clock, P. M. It was with the greatest difficulty that we kept clear of them; at times it seemed impossible; and in this situation we could fully realize the force of the scriptural sentiment, "all that a man hath he will give for his life." Finding them too near us, and evidently intent upon taking vengeance for the crime we had committed in attempting to escape, though our wardrobe had been reduced to a few necessary articles of clothing, we resorted to the expedient of parting even with these, by casting one thing at a time upon the water, rightly judging that they might be detained in picking them up, and hoping by this management to keep our distance from them.

After they left us, we continued our course, which was directly into the open sea, until about sunset, when we discovered land ahead, apparently at the distance of forty miles. We continued to row on till about three o'clock in the morning, when we found that we were in shoal water, and near breakers. We contrived to throw the bight of a rope over a point of rock which was about eight feet under water, and we there remained until daylight. We then let go our hold, and pulled for land. At about four o'clock in the afternoon we succeeded in landing on a small island distant from the main land about half a mile, and drew our boat upon the beach. By this time our strength had become much exhausted, and we were suffering beyond description from the want of water. Our first efforts were made to find some means for quenching our thirst; and, to our inexpressible joy, we soon found a spring, which, in that extremity of our sufferings, was of more value than a mine of gold. Poor Sedon was left lying in the boat in a state of complete prostration. We carried him some water, and he soon revived.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] In Keate's Account of the Pelew Islands this word is written pook.—Edit.

CHAPTER III.

A canoe, with two natives, approaches the island.—Communication opened with them.—A great number of canoes, filled with armed natives, suddenly arrive; rough treatment of the captain by one of the chiefs.—They all arrive at the harbor of the island, which proved to be one of the Pelew islands.—Description of the island and its inhabitants.—Consultation of the chiefs respecting the ship's company.—Result of the consultation.

Having satisfied our most pressing wants, we next set ourselves at work to obtain food. We had with us a part of the bread brought from the wreck, and the preparation given us by the natives composed of the cocoa-nut pulverized and mixed with the sweet liquor extracted from the tree. Putting these together into a bucket-full of water, we made out the materials for a supper, which, though not of a kind to suit the delicate palate, was devoured with thankfulness and a good relish. Feeling refreshed and invigorated by our meal, we gathered ourselves into a group on the beach, and passed our moments of relaxation in conversing upon the melancholy vicissitudes through which we had passed, and the gloomy prospect which was at that unpromising moment spread out before us. Should we find it possible to procure the means of subsistence, it was thought best to remain where we were for a day or two, not knowing what reception we should meet with, were we to throw ourselves into the hands of the inhabitants of the main island, and feeling an unconquerable reluctance to come in contact with beings scarce less ferocious than beasts of prey. But fortune having commenced making us the sport of painful incidents, soon subjected us to another annoyance.

A canoe containing two living beings, in the form of men, in a state of nakedness, was seen, from where we sat, putting off from a point of land which projected into the sea a small distance below us. They had evidently discovered us, and were approaching the spot where we were, for the purpose of making themselves acquainted with us and our condition. When within hailing distance they stopped, and seemed afraid to come nearer. Thinking it best to be on friendly terms with them, we beckoned to have them approach. This seemed to please them; and, to manifest a friendly disposition, they held up a fish. To show them that we were inclined to reciprocate any acts of kindness, to the extent of our ability, we held up a crab which we had caught. Upon this they immediately came near to where we stood. We presented to each one a jackknife, and indicated by signs, that they were at liberty to take any thing we had. They appeared highly gratified, and their conduct was inoffensive. In a short time they returned to their canoe, and made signs to us to follow them; we thought best to do so, and accordingly soon placed our effects in the boat, and followed them towards a sort of harbor at no great distance. In consequence of the lightness of their canoe and their dexterity in managing it, they were soon ahead of us, and, turning round a point of land, they were speedily withdrawn from our view.

In a few minutes they returned, accompanied by a large number of canoes—the water seemed to be literally covered by this miniature fleet. The natives were all armed, much like those with whom we first became acquainted.

This instantaneous movement was occasioned, as we afterwards learned, by an alarm given by the two natives who had visited us on the small island. Intelligence of the fact, that a boat's crew of strange looking beings, as we doubtless appeared to them, had landed upon their territory, was given by sounding a shell. This aroused the multitude, and caused them to come out, to satisfy their curiosity, and assist in conducting us safely and speedily to a place of security. A large war canoe made directly towards us; and, on coming alongside, the head chief sprung into our boat, seized the captain by the shoulder, and struck him several times with a war-club; in the mean while giving him to understand, that it was his will and pleasure to have us row, with all convenient despatch, to the place whence they had issued. He then commenced swinging his club over our heads with great apparent ferocity, for the purpose, as it seemed, of awing us into submission; occasionally striking some of our number. After pretty thoroughly convincing us that in this case our only course was submission, he began to strip us of our clothing. While this was going on, his associates in arms and mischief kept their canoe close alongside, and, standing up, held their spears in a position to enable them to pierce us through in an instant, if there had been any occasion for so doing.

We were soon in their miserable harbor; and, it being low water, we were compelled to leave our boat, and wade to the tableland through the mud. Our appearance, as the reader will naturally conclude, was not very creditable to the land which gave us birth; but since our destitute and miserable condition was not our choice, we could do no less than be thankful that it was no worse; and, making the best of it, we suffered ourselves to be ushered into the presence of the dignitaries of the island, in the way they thought most proper. We were conducted to a platform, on a rise of land at a little distance from the harbor, on which were seated those who had power to dispose of us as they pleased. This platform was twelve or fifteen feet square, and was situated between two long buildings, called "pyes." These, as we afterwards learned, were used by the chiefs as places of carousal, and as a sort of harem for their women. They were constructed in a rude manner, of bamboo sticks, and covered with leaves. They were sixty or seventy feet in length, and about twenty-four in width.

That something like a correct conception of this scene may be formed by the reader, it may be well to give, in this place, a brief account of the appearance, manners, and customs of the natives of this island. This was the island known to navigators as Baubelthouap, the largest of the group of the Pelew islands. It lies not far from the eighth degree of north latitude, is about one hundred and twenty miles in length, and contains probably not far from two thousand inhabitants.[2]

The men were entirely naked. They always go armed, in the way before described, and carry with them a small basket, containing generally the whole amount of their movable property. The women wear no other clothing than a sort of apron (fastened to the waist by a curiously wrought girdle) extending nearly to the knees, and left open at the sides. The material of these garments (if such they can be called) is the bark of a tree called by them "karamal." This tree grows from thirty to forty feet high, and is two or three feet in circumference. The hair of both males and females is worn long; it is coarse and stiff, and of a color resembling that of the natives of North America. They make free use of the oil extracted from the cocoa-nut; with this they anoint their bodies, considering it the extreme of gentility to have the skin entirely saturated with it. Their arms, and sometimes the lower parts of the body and legs, are ingeniously tattooed. Their complexion is a light copper. Their eyes have a very singular appearance, being of a reddish color. Their noses were somewhat flat, but not so flat as those of the Africans; nor are their lips so thick. They are excessively fond of trinkets. It would cause a fashionable lady of America to smile, to observe the pains taken by those simple daughters of nature to set off their persons. In their ears they wear a sort of ornament made of a peculiar kind of grass, which they work into a tassel; this is painted and richly perfumed. In their noses they wear a stem of the kabooa leaf, which answers the double purpose of an ornament and a smelling bottle; and their arms, in addition to being tattooed in the manner above mentioned, are adorned with a profusion of shells. Our fair readers may judge how much we were amused, on finding that the copper-colored females of the island cut up our old shoes into substitutes for jewelry, and seemed highly delighted with wearing the shreds suspended from their ears.

Our further acquaintance with this extraordinary people confirmed us in the opinion, that the ceremony of marriage is unpractised and unknown among them. The chiefs appropriate to themselves as many females as they please, and in the selection they exercise this despotism over the affections without regard to any other laws than those of caprice. Reserving a more particular account of their manners, customs and mode of living for another place, I content myself with observing at this time, that the people of these islands, generally speaking, are in the rudest state imaginable. It is true that some sense of propriety, and some regard to the decencies of life, were observable; nor did they appear entirely destitute of those feelings which do honor to our nature, and which we should hardly expect to find in a people so rude and barbarous.

Such were the beings among whom Providence had cast our lot; and to think of remaining with them to the end of life, or for any great length of time, was like the contemplation of imprisonment for life in the gloomy cells of a dungeon.

From the rudely constructed wharf near the spot where we left our boat, we were conducted into the presence of a number of the chiefs, who were seated upon the platform above mentioned. The natives eagerly pressed forward to obtain a sight of us. That curiosity peculiar to the better portion of our race was, on this occasion, manifested by the females of the island. They clustered around us, and, placing their hands upon our flesh, seemed greatly to wonder that it should differ so much from their own. The fashion of wearing a skin so white as ours, seemed to them, no doubt, to be an offence against the taste and refinement of their portion of the world. To go at large without being tattooed, was to carry with us the palpable proofs of our vulgarity; and, to our sorrow, we were afterwards compelled to conform to the custom of the barbarians in this respect, and shall carry with us to the grave the marks of their well-meant, though cruel operation upon our bodies.

Judging from appearances, our case had become a concern of great importance. The chiefs seemed to have had under discussion the question, whether we were to be treated as enemies, and subjected to the process of beheading upon the block of the executioner, (which was there in readiness before our eyes) or regarded as friends, and welcomed to their rude hospitalities. Unable as we were to understand a word of their language, or to say any thing by way of explanation or defence, the reader will conceive, better than we could describe, our painful situation. For a time we considered our case as hopeless. The women, who seemed to have taken an interest in our welfare, after observing, for a time, what was going on among the chiefs, began to utter their cries and lamentations, as if greatly distressed on our account. Their grief had the appearance of being sincere; they wept, and in a variety of ways expressed emotions of deep and heart-felt solicitude. Whether this was their manner of interceding in our behalf, to avert some impending calamity, or was expressive of their regret on account of our doom having been already sealed, it was impossible for us to determine. Nor did we ever know the amount of our obligations to those female strangers for the interest taken in our welfare. A termination was put to our suspense, however, in the course of an hour.

At the close of the consultation, a large bowl was brought to us, filled with sweetened water, and richly ornamented with shells, so arranged as to form a sort of hieroglyphical characters. We drank of the contents of the bowl, in compliance with their request, from a richly wrought cup made of a cocoa-nut shell. This act of hospitality was regarded as a favorable indication of a friendly disposition on their part towards us; and our hopes were afterwards confirmed; for no sooner had we finished drinking, than the natives prepared to conduct us away. We afterwards learned, that a messenger had been despatched to a neighboring town, or settlement, to consult their prophetess in regard to the proper manner of disposing of us; and that she had directed them to send us to her. Of this important personage a more particular account will be given hereafter; suffice it, for the present, to say, that the respect paid to her by the natives of the island was of the most profound character, and her authority over them was almost unlimited.

We were conducted, through an inconsiderable place, to the town where the prophetess resided. In this place there were several dwelling-houses, scattered about without regard to order; and, besides the dwelling of the prophetess, two of their long buildings, or "pyes," gave it not a little importance in the estimation of these rude and uncultivated beings. We were halted in front of one of the "pyes," and directly opposite the house of the prophetess. Here, again, we were reminded of the fact, that we were in the presence of our superiors, as to power, by the platform on which were placed our judges, the chiefs, and the block standing near them, for the purpose of execution.

We were soon surrounded by a vast crowd of the natives, eager to see us, and to learn something of the nature of beings so different from themselves.

A short time after our arrival, a quantity of food was brought from the house of the prophetess, and placed in the centre of the platform. This consisted of a hog's head, boiled in sea-water, highly seasoned with cayenne and aromatic herbs, a plentiful supply of yams, and a large bowl of sweetened water. This meal was abundant and delicious; and we partook of it with an excellent relish.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] This island is not always laid down by name on our common maps, nor mentioned in geographical works. In the best charts it is called Baubelthouap. In the chart prefixed to the fifth volume of Burney's Chronological History of the Voyages and Discoveries in the South Sea, it is called "Panloq or Babelthoup." In the map accompanying the late edition of Malte Brun's Geography, (in 4to) it is carelessly printed Banbeltbonap.—Edit.

CHAPTER IV.

An extraordinary and unexpected meeting with a person not a native.—Happy result of the meeting.—Acquisition of the Pelew language.—Dissensions between two portions of the natives.—Three of the ship's company separated and carried to a place remote from the rest.—Attempt to construct a boat, in order to leave the island.—The natives agree to release them all for a compensation.—Solemnities observed by the natives on the occasion.—Tools used in making the boat; transportation of timber, &c.—The plan abandoned, and a canoe substituted for the boat.—Another festival.

An interesting incident now occurred. Just at the time when the servant of the prophetess brought out the materials for our repast, we observed, at a little distance, a singular looking being approaching us. His appearance was that of a man of sixty. His hair was long and gray, unlike that of the natives. His legs, arms, and breast were tattooed. His step was quick and firm; his motions indicating that he felt himself a person of not a little importance. His teeth were entirely gone, and his mouth was black with the use of "kabooa." Judge of our emotions on hearing this strange being address us in broken English! His first exclamation was—"My God, you are Englishmen!" He immediately said, "You are safe now;" but he gave us to understand, that it was next to a miracle that we had escaped being killed on the water.

This person was by birth an Englishman, and had been on the island about twenty-nine years. He told us that he had been a hatter by trade, and that his name was Charles Washington. He had been a private in the British naval service, on board the Lion man-of-war. Cruising in those seas, he had, while on duty, been guilty of some trifling offence; and, apprehending that he should be severely punished for it, had left the ship, and taken up his residence upon the island. He seemed to be contented with his situation, and had no desire to return to his native country. He had attained to great celebrity, and was the sixth chief among them. His authority seemed great, and he exercised it with exemplary discretion.

Observing the provisions before us, he told us that they were for our use, and desired us to partake of whatever we preferred. Seeing that we were likely to be somewhat annoyed by the crowd of young persons who had collected around us, he swung his battle-axe over their heads, and giving them to understand that we belonged to him, immediately caused them to disperse.

Arrangements were soon made for our accommodation. A part of one of the "pyes" was appropriated to our use, and we were furnished with mats, and other things for our comfort and convenience. Here we remained for about a month, and were regularly supplied by the natives with a sufficiency of provisions of various kinds, such as hogs, goats, fish, yams, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, preserved almonds, and occasionally with sweet potatoes.

A change seemed now to have come over us. We were, it is true, amongst a rude and barbarous people, cut off from all intercourse with the rest of the world, and deprived of many things which we had been accustomed to regard as essential to our happiness; but even then we found many reasons for being grateful to the Disposer of events. Our actual wants were supplied; and the natives soon evinced a disposition to consider us friends, and treat us as such. To the latest day of our lives we shall remember some of them with heartfelt respect and affection; and, most of all, regret our inability to requite them for the favors which they voluntarily bestowed upon us. Especially should we rejoice to revisit that lonely spot of earth, and carry with us, to those children of nature, the means of civilization, and the blessings of Christian faith and Christian morality. And should the government of enlightened America ever see proper to extend to them some proof of its regard, it would afford us unspeakable pleasure to have it in our power to communicate to them the exalted principles, which might incline this highly favored nation to the performance of so noble a deed.

Finding it important to be able to converse with the natives, we improved every opportunity to become acquainted with their language. Having but little to occupy our attention, it was not long before we had acquired a tolerable knowledge of it; and we found our situation much more pleasant as we became familiar with it. Our great object was, as the reader will naturally suppose, to contrive some way of escape. Our only means of accomplishing this was by friendly and amicable negotiation, and to make them understand our wishes, and convince them that it would be for their interest to aid us in returning to our native land, were essential to our success.

We had not long been with them before we became acquainted with the fact, that upon the opposite end of the island there was another tribe, and that the two divisions of the inhabitants were not on the most friendly terms with each other. Intelligence had in some way been communicated to those who lived remote from the spot where fortune had thrown us, that we were desirous of leaving the island; and, probably with a view of gaining some advantage, they sent to us a message, informing us of their willingness to assist in constructing a boat sufficiently large to convey us across the water. The persons commissioned to make this proposal, and to persuade us to go to them, were two Englishmen, who, as we afterwards learned, had been on the island for several years, and were left there by English vessels. The particulars of their history we were unable to obtain.

An offer of that kind, coming as it did from their enemies, and being in itself calculated to offend the pride of those into whose hands we had fallen, greatly excited their feelings of animosity; and, in consequence of our having manifested some desire to satisfy our own minds on the subject, we were closely watched. On the whole, however, we had no reason to regret this state of things; for on finding that their neighbors were disposed to assist us, a spirit of emulation was aroused among them, and for a time we had some hopes that the excited energies of this tiny nation would lead to the performance of some exploit, which, in the end, might place at our disposal the means of deliverance.

Our maintenance had by this time become so great a tax upon their resources, that it was found expedient to cause some of our number to be removed to a settlement about a mile distant. Mr. Nute, Mr. Rollins, and myself were accordingly selected, and under a strong escort taken to the place. This did not please us, as we preferred remaining with our companions; but either expostulation or resistance would have involved us in worse difficulties, and we submitted. In our new situation we were well supplied with provisions, and kindly treated. We were allowed to visit our friends at the other town, and spent our time as agreeably as could be expected under the circumstances.

Previously to this, some steps had been taken towards constructing a sort of boat or vessel to convey us home. Finding the natives disposed to part with us, for a stipulated consideration, and to render us any assistance in their power, we left no means unemployed to induce them to exert themselves to the utmost; and, to their credit be it said, it was more owing to their inability than to their want of inclination that we were not entirely successful. An account of their proceedings cannot fail of being interesting.

After much deliberation, and many consultations upon the momentous subject, it was agreed to commence operations. Their prophetess had been duly consulted, and the assistance of their divinity had been implored with great formality. Before they ventured upon the undertaking, it was deemed advisable to hold a festival. An event of so much importance could not be suffered to transpire without being duly solemnized. Tradition furnished no account of any thing equal to this attempt! Accordingly large quantities of provisions were brought from various parts of the island, and an immense concourse of men, women, and children, attended the feast. On our part we had little confidence in the success of the plan; but, be that as it might, we were far from being displeased with their efforts to carry it into execution, and shared with them the festivities of the occasion, with not a little pleasure.

This part of the business having been duly attended to, the time had come for united and vigorous action; and accordingly the whole male population of that region repaired to the woods, to procure timber. In the mean time the females, animated by a spirit of emulation, betook themselves to the task of making mats, to serve as sails to our vessel, when it should be completed. In fine, the whole resources of the country, of every kind, were taxed to the last extremity, to accomplish the work.

Considering the means they had for carrying the plan into execution, it is surprising that they accomplished as much as they did. The best tools we had were a few old inch chisels, which served as substitutes for the broad-axe, in manufacturing trees into planks, and afterwards fitting them to their places. There were a few spikes on the island, but we had neither auger nor gimlet.

When news had been received that the timber was ready in the woods, orders were given to have it brought together. Seldom had we witnessed a more novel scene than that presented by the natives when they brought from the forests the rudely prepared materials for the boat. They were seen coming in from all quarters with loads of timber on their shoulders, of every size and shape that could be conceived of, and causing the hills and vales to resound with their shouts.

In due time the work of putting together the materials commenced. We succeeded in laying a sort of keel, and at length contrived to erect a kind of frame, which, though it might not be regarded as a first-rate specimen of naval architecture, nevertheless looked somewhat like the beginning of a water-craft. But when we came to the more difficult part of the business, that of putting on the planks, we found that not only our skill, but that of the whole nation, was completely baffled. We were compelled to abandon the undertaking; and despaired of ever being able to succeed in building any thing of the kind.

During all this time the natives were sanguine in the belief that they should succeed, and repeatedly assured us that they could accomplish the work. Their sorrow and mortification, on being obliged to give it up, were great; for they seemed to realize, that now they must have fallen in our estimation, and thought that we should be anxious to avail ourselves of the assistance of their enemies, who, as they well knew, were extremely anxious to get us into their hands. The captain did not attempt to conceal his wish to go to the other part of the island. This greatly increased their dissatisfaction; and their murmurs became frequent and loud. After considerable expostulation, they proposed to make a canoe sufficiently large to convey us away; and, having some confidence in the practicability of the plan, we consented to wait and assist them in their endeavors to supply us with this substitute for the more respectable craft we had contemplated building. After duly consulting the old prophetess, the principal chiefs were assembled, and having agreed to take for the purpose the largest bread-fruit tree on the island, the people were called upon to meet at the spot where it stood, and assist in cutting it down.

Matters of so great importance required deliberation in the operation of planning out the work,—but the accomplishment of an undertaking like that of felling so large a tree, with tools even less adapted to the business than the teeth of a beaver, was one that took several days. At length the herculean task was performed, and the tree fell! But judge of our feelings on finding that the trunk, which we had hoped to render so useful in conveying us to some place from which we could obtain a passage to our native land, had, in falling, become so split as to be good for nothing! It seemed to us that a cruel fate had ordained, that no labor of our hands should prosper. Another tree was selected, and with that we were more successful. We then commenced digging it out, and bringing it to a proper shape. The old chisels were now put in requisition; and, in twenty-eight days from the time we began, we had succeeded in bringing that part of our labor to a close. Of the other tree we made two wide planks, which we fastened to the upper edges of the canoe, thereby adding very considerably to its capacity. Two months more were consumed in fitting up our canoe with sails, and getting it ready for sea.

Having proceeded thus far, it was deemed proper by the natives to have another festival; and, as our labors, in this instance, had been attended with better success, extraordinary preparations were made for a feast that should do honor to the occasion. An immense quantity of fish had been obtained; the females brought large quantities of bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and yams; and the toil of months was forgotten in the universal joy which then prevailed.

CHAPTER V.

The natives become anxious to aid the ship's company in leaving the island.—Terms on which they agreed to release them.—Departure from the Pelew islands.—Necessity of returning the same night.—Detention a month longer; and final departure.

By this time the natives had become nearly as anxious to part with us as we had ever been to leave them; and being mutually desirous to be rid of each other's company, we lost no time in preparing for our departure. Our object now was to get into the open sea, with the hope of falling in with some vessel on its passage to China or elsewhere, and thus be able, after a while, to find a conveyance to America. Provisions were furnished us by the natives; but we greatly needed a compass, and with much difficulty obtained one. Captain Wilson, who had been shipwrecked there many years before, left his compass with one of the chiefs, whom we finally succeeded in inducing to part with it. It had become much impaired by time and improper usage, but served as a tolerable guide.[3]

It is proper here to state the particulars of our agreement with the natives of this island. They had, as before related, furnished us with the means of subsistence, and with comfortable lodgings; and, for the purpose of enabling us to return home, had been at great expense in fitting up a craft, such as they thought would answer to convey us wherever we pleased to go. According to their notions, we were persons of sufficient consequence in the estimation of our countrymen, to fulfil any engagement we might make with them, and to the extent to which, in our necessity, we were compelled to go, in order to obtain the object which we had in view, should the government consider itself bound; and it would be no less an act of justice than of humanity, to secure the friendship and confidence of these islanders; so that, should others unfortunately fall into their hands, their lives and property might be respected. It is also important, that those who engage in commercial pursuits should have every protection extended to them. It would cost the government but a mere trifle to secure an amicable understanding with these islanders; and it is but reasonable to hope that no time will be lost in making the attempt.

Situated as we were, we did not feel ourselves at liberty to expostulate against the obvious unreasonableness of their demands. We were, in truth, indebted to them for our maintenance while among them, and for the assistance they rendered us in fitting up our craft; and, as a suitable requital for these favors, and to remunerate them for their hospitality, we solemnly assured them, that, should fortune so far prosper us, as to enable us once more to reach our native country, we would send to them two hundred muskets, ten casks of powder, with a corresponding quantity of balls and flints. Besides this, we gave them assurances of having several articles of ornament, such as beads, belts, combs, and trinkets of various kinds.

On the 27th of October, 1832, we set sail, having the boat in which we had escaped from the ship, and which we had repaired as well as we were able, and the canoe which had been constructed by the natives especially for our use. It was agreed, that three of our number, viz. Davis, Meder, and Alden, should remain on the island as hostages, and that three of the natives (two chiefs, and one of the common class) should accompany us, to see that the agreement made with them should be faithfully executed. Fearing that the natives residing on the other part of the island might come upon us and prevent our going, we took our departure in the night. We soon found that our boats leaked so badly that it would be next to madness to proceed, and we returned in the course of the night. Our unexpected return gave great offence; but we insisted that to go to sea in that condition would be certain destruction. They at length consented to assist in repairing the canoe and boat, and to suffer us to remain long enough to complete our arrangements more to our mind.

We were detained by these operations about a month, and then again took our leave of the spot where we had remained so long against our will; though we would not conceal the fact, that the rude kindness of the natives had so entirely overbalanced their faults, that, on parting with them, we experienced emotions of regret, and were quite overpowered with a sense of our obligations to them for the many favors which they had bestowed upon us. They had regarded and treated us as beings of a higher order than themselves; and our conduct had inspired them with a veneration and confidence almost unbounded. As a proof of this, three of their number were committed to our care, and were entirely willing to place themselves at our disposal.

Seven of our number now took the canoe, viz., Bouket, Sedon, Andrews, Hulet, and the three natives. Captain Barnard, Rollins, Nute, and myself preferred the ship's boat. We were accompanied on our passage the first day by a large number of the natives. At night, as we had then succeeded in getting beyond the reef, they left us, and we continued our course.

FOOTNOTES:

[3] The Englishman before mentioned, Charles Washington, told us that this compass was left there about thirty years before, which was the time when captain James Wilson, of the ship Duff, was there. But from circumstances it appeared that he was mistaken as to the time, and that it was one which had belonged to captain Henry Wilson, who was shipwrecked there in the Antelope, in 1783, and of whose voyage and disasters a most interesting and well-known account was published by Mr. Keate. Its preservation for about fifty years is certainly remarkable.—Edit.

CHAPTER VI.

Regret at having undertaken the voyage in boats.—Storm, and damage in consequence of it.—Loss of the canoe and the provisions on board.—Danger of perishing from famine.—On the fifteenth day, when nearly exhausted with fatigue and hunger, they discover a small island.—Approach of eighteen canoes filled with natives, who make prisoners of them all.—Cruelty of the natives; and return with their prisoners to the island.—Reception there.—The prisoners distributed among the captors.

We had not proceeded far before we had reasons for regretting, that we had entered upon the perilous undertaking of navigating the waters of that region in boats so poorly adapted to the purposes we had in view. There came on a violent storm of rain, the wind blowing hard, and the waves threatening to swallow us each moment of the night. To our dismay, the rudder of the canoe, owing to the imperfect manner in which it had been constructed, was unshipped, and for a time the destruction of those on board seemed inevitable. Fortunately we continued to keep company. By great exertion we made out to replace the rudder in the morning, and then proceeded. In the course of the day the rudder was again unshipped; but, with less difficulty than before, we succeeded in fastening it to its place with ropes, so that it answered tolerably well as a substitute for a better one. Happy would it have been for us, if this had been the worst of the disasters of our voyage. Our mast next went by the board; and during the whole of the next night, we lay drifting at the mercy of the winds and waves. In the mean time the canoe sprung a leak, and we found it impossible to bail out the water as fast as it came in. In this extremity we lost no time in shifting all our lading into one end of the canoe; and by tearing up our old clothes, and stuffing them into the crack, we at length stopped the leak. In this sad plight we continued on, meeting with no very serious accident till the fifth day from the time of leaving the island; when, just at the setting of the sun, owing to some mismanagement, a light puff of wind capsized the canoe! Fortunately no one was drowned. All but three swam to our boat; those who remained continued through the night to cling to the canoe. With great difficulty we kept our boat from being stove in pieces by coming in contact with the canoe. During all this time it rained very hard, and never had we experienced a more dismal night. In the morning we tried to get the canoe right side up; but finding that impossible, we concluded to abandon it entirely. We took from it a few cocoa-nuts, and, as our last resort, all took refuge in the boat. We saved the compass, and did not so much regret the loss of the canoe, as it had cost us already an incalculable amount of anxiety, toil, and suffering.

But new difficulties now stared us in the face. Most of our provisions had been lost by the upsetting of the canoe, and we had but a very small quantity of water. It was therefore deemed expedient to divide among us the means of subsistence remaining. We had four cocoa-nuts for each person, and a few pieces over, which were distributed equally. At this time no objects were seen, except a few sea birds. We continued in this condition for nine days and nights, with actual starvation before us, as the most probable end of our anxieties and sufferings. We were about settling down into a state of confirmed despair, when, to our inexpressible joy, we discovered land apparently about ten miles off. We exerted all our remaining strength to reach it. When within six miles we saw, approaching us, a fleet of eighteen canoes, filled with the natives of the small island we were approaching.

At first the small canoes came near us, for the purpose of ascertaining who and what we were. The appearance of these natives was such as to excite at once our astonishment and disgust. Like the inhabitants of the island we had left, they were entirely naked; and, as our subsequent experience proved, they were infinitely more barbarous and cruel. Very soon the large canoes came up, when the wretches commenced their outrages. They attacked us with brutal ferocity, knocking us overboard with their clubs, in the mean time making the most frightful grimaces, and yelling like so many incarnate devils. They fell upon our boat and immediately destroyed it, breaking it into splinters, and taking the fragments into their canoes. While this was going on we were swimming from one canoe to another, entreating them by signs to spare our lives and permit us to get into their canoes. This they for a long time refused, beating us most unmercifully, whenever we caught hold of any thing to save ourselves from sinking.

After they had demolished our boat, and kept us in that condition for some time, they allowed us to get on board. They then compelled us to row towards the land. They stripped us of all our clothing immediately after we were taken in; and the reader may form some idea of our distress in this condition, under a burning sun, from the fact, that before night our shoulders were blistered, by being thus exposed to the heat.

On approaching land we discovered no habitation; but after going round a point of the island, we saw near the beach a row of small and badly constructed huts. We were compelled to jump from the canoes into the water and wade to the shore. By this time the beach was lined with women and children, who caused the air to resound with the most horrid yells and screams. Their gestures and violent contortions of countenance resembled the frantic ravings of Bedlamites.

The reception we met with on land was no more agreeable than that upon the water. Judging from the treatment we had received from the females of the island which we had left, it was hoped that the gentler sex would extend to us some proof of their commiseration; but in this we were sadly disappointed. If possible, they were more cruel than their inhuman lords and masters. We were soon separated from each other, and dragged about from place to place; our brutal captors, in the mean time, contending with each other to see who should have us as his property. Frequent contests of this kind occurred; in one of which, during the first day, I was knocked down. The question of ownership was at length settled, and we were retained by those into whose hands we had at first fallen. Some of us were taken to their house of worship, called by them Verre-Yarris—literally, God's house, where they went through with some of their religious ceremonies, and we received a few mouthfuls of food, which was the first we had tasted through the day.

It was my good fortune to be retained by one who, compared with the other natives, was humane. His name was Pahrahbooah; the female head of the family was called Nahkit; and they had four children. I went by the name of Tee´mit; and Benjamin Nute by the name of Rollo. The captain was also fortunate in falling into the hands of a friend of my master, who treated him with comparative kindness. He was valued the more highly also on account of being a large, fleshy man—they judging of these things by the size and appearance.

CHAPTER VII.

The island, to which they were carried, proves to be Lord North's island, called by the natives To´bee.—Account of the island and its inhabitants.—Their manners and customs.

It may now be proper in this place to give some account of the place where our unhappy lot was cast, and of its rude and miserable inhabitants. It will be impossible to convey a correct idea of their ignorance, poverty, and degradation; but some conception may be formed, by imagining what the condition of beings must necessarily be, when wholly separated from the rest of their species, stripped of all the refinements of life, and deprived of all means and opportunities for improvement.

We were now upon the small piece of land called by the natives To´bee, but known to navigators by the name of Lord North's Island, situated between the third and fourth degrees of north latitude, and in longitude one hundred and thirty-one degrees twenty minutes east. It is also known by the name of Nevil's Island and Johnston's Island; and it has been hitherto considered by navigators and others as uninhabited. This is not surprising; as we were told by the natives, that no white man had ever visited the place; though it seemed, from the pieces of iron in their possession, and from other circumstances, that they had had some communication with the Spaniards and Portuguese in that quarter of the world.[4] Like many other islands in those seas, this is surrounded by a coral reef, which is from an eighth to one half of a mile wide; but outside of the reef the water is apparently fathomless, the water being as blue as it is in the middle of the ocean; and the largest vessels may in many places approach within a quarter of a mile of the beach. The whole island rises so little above the level of the sea, that the swell often rolls up to a considerable distance inland. It is about three quarters of a mile in length, and not far from half a mile in width. There were upon it three villages, situated on the shores, and containing, in all, between three and four hundred souls, at the time when we were taken there; but the number was considerably diminished by famine and disease before we left.

The inhabitants are in a state of entire barbarism and ignorance. The men wear a sort of girdle or belt made of the bark of a tree. This is girded round the loins so as to leave one end to hang loose behind, the other is brought forward and fastened to the belt in front. This is their only clothing. The females, after arriving at the age of womanhood, wear an apron made of the leaves of a plant, by them called kurremung, split into fine strips and plaited. This extends from the loins nearly to the knees. Some few wear rings upon their wrists made of white shells, and some had this kind of ornament made of turtle-shell. In their ears, which are always bored, they sometimes wear a leaf; and round their necks a necklace made of the shell of the cocoa-nut, and a small white shell, called keem shell. The children go entirely naked. The complexion of these islanders is a light copper color; much lighter than the Malays, or the Pelew islanders; which last, however, they resemble in the breadth of their faces, high cheek bones, and broad flattened noses. They do not color their teeth, by chewing any thing, as many of those islanders do; but their teeth are so strong that they can husk a cocoa-nut with them instantly.

Their principal food is the cocoa-nut. They occasionally succeed in procuring fish, though the supply obtained during our residence there was exceedingly small. Their fish-hooks are made of turtle-shell, and not well contrived for the purpose; but we could not induce them to use our hooks, till they had heated them and altered their form so that they would not hold the fish. They did this, because they said that Yarris (God) would be angry with them, if they used our hooks without preparing them according to their fashion. Sometimes they are so fortunate as to obtain a sea-turtle; five only were taken during the two years we were there. The turtle, I may add, has something of a sacred character with them. They also raise small quantities of a vegetable somewhat resembling the yam; but while we were with them they were unsuccessful in cultivating it. These constitute the slender means of their support; and they are thus barely kept from actual death by famine, but on the very verge of starvation. When any one of them begins to fail, for want of food, so that his death is pretty certain, they inhumanly turn him off from among them, to starve to death.

Their religion is such as might be expected among a people in their condition. Their place of worship is a rudely constructed building, or hut, about fifty feet long and thirty wide. In the centre, suspended from the roof, is a sort of altar, into which they suppose their deity comes to hold converse with the priest. Rudely carved images are placed in different parts of the building, and are supposed to personate their divinity. As nearly as could be ascertained by us, they supposed that the object of their worship was of like passions with themselves, capricious and revengeful. During the time we were with them, they attributed to his displeasure their want of success in taking fish as they had done in former times, and the unfruitfulness of their bread-fruit and cocoa trees.

Their religious ceremonies are singular. In the commencement the priest walks round the altar and takes from it a mat devoted to the purpose, which is laid upon the ground. He then seats himself upon it, and begins to hoot, in the mean time throwing himself into a variety of attitudes, for the purpose of calling down the divinity into the altar. At intervals the congregation sing, but immediately stop when the priest breaks out in his devotions. By the side of the altar is always placed a large bowl, and six cocoa-nuts. After the incantation is gone through, and the divinity is supposed to be present, the bowl is turned up, and four of the nuts are broken and put in it, two being reserved for the exclusive use of a priest by them called also "yarris." As soon as the nuts are broken, one of the company begins to shout, and, rushing to the centre, seizes the bowl, and drinks of the milk of the nut, generally spilling a considerable part of it upon the ground. After this a few pieces are thrown to the images, and the remainder are eaten by the priests. This closes the ceremony; after which they indulge in any recreations that chance to please them best.

While we were on the island several earthquakes happened, and some of them pretty severe. On those occasions the natives were much terrified; they would not let their children speak a word; and they said among themselves—zahbee´too Yarris, To´bee yettah´men, that is, Yarris (God) is coming and To'bee (the name of the island) will sink. They were also very much alarmed at thunder and lightning; and used to say at such times, Yarris tee´tree, God is talking. I do not know how they would be affected by an eclipse, as none happened, that I noticed, while we remained there.

I will here mention some other things in respect to their customs and usages, as they now occur to me.

Their implements of war are spears and clubs; they have no bows and arrows. Their spears are made of the wood of the cocoa-nut trees; the points of them are set with rows of sharks' teeth; and, being at the same time very heavy and from ten to twenty feet long, are formidable weapons.

Their canoes are made of logs which drift to their island from other places, there being no trees on it large enough for that purpose; they are hollowed out with great labor, and are of very clumsy workmanship; to prevent their oversetting, they are fitted up with outriggers, like those of the Pelew islanders. A sketch of one is given in the accompanying engraving.

They kindle their fires, as they informed me, by rubbing two pieces of wood together, as is common in the islands of the Pacific ocean; and they cook their turtle or other meat, (when they are so fortunate as to have any,) as well as their vegetables, by covering them with heated stones. I should state, however, that during the whole time we staid among them, fire was always preserved in some part of the island, so that there was no necessity for kindling it in the manner here mentioned.

Like other savage people, they reckon time by moons; I could not learn that they ever reckoned by any other period, except, indeed, when speaking of two or three days.

They take pride in their hair, and are particularly careful about it, washing and cleansing it almost every day. They do not color it, however, as the natives of some islands are said to do; but they moisten it with the juice pressed out from the cocoa-nut, which gives it a very glossy appearance; and it is frequently so long as to reach down to their waist.

Their mode of salutation is, to clasp each other in their arms, and touch their noses together, as is practised in many other islands.

We found no musical instruments of any kind among them. They sometimes, on particular occasions, would sing or bawl out something like a rude tune; but we could not understand it. We frequently tried to teach them to whistle, and their awkward attempts to do it amused us; but they never were able to learn how it was done.

In their names, I could not find that they had any thing like a family name, but only a single one, (corresponding to our christian names,) as is the case, I believe, throughout the islands of the Pacific. I could not learn, that the names were significant either of animals or other objects, as the Indian names of America are, and I never found any two persons of the same name. The names of the members of the family with which I lived were as follows:—

Pahrahboo´ah, the father of the family.

Nah'kit, the mother.

Buhwur´timar, the eldest child, a son, ten or twelve years old.

Kobaw´ut, the second, a daughter.

Kobahnoo´uk, the third, a daughter.

Wah´rebo, the fourth, a son.

The children do not address their parents by any word corresponding to father or mother, papa or mamma, but by their names. Their parents treat them on the footing of equality; they are generally well behaved, and are never punished, except occasionally when impatient for their food.

Their language appears to be different from those of the other islands in that quarter; we found that the three natives of the Pelew islands, that accompanied us, could not understand any thing they said; though I observed afterwards, occasionally, a resemblance in two or three words. The reader will, however, be enabled to judge for himself, by means of a short vocabulary of common words which will be found at the end of this narrative. I may add, that the Pelew chiefs had never heard of Lord North's island; but they are acquainted with the Caroline islands.

A detail of all that befell us would serve only to give pain to the benevolent, or at most to show how much human beings can endure. I shall attempt but little more than to describe the sufferings of a day; observing once for all, that for the term of two long years we experienced the same privations, and were subjected to the same brutal treatment; life, during all that time, being no better than the constant succession of the most acute sufferings.

This island, unlike the Pelews, is one of the most horrible and wretched on the face of the globe. The only product of its soil worth mentioning is the cocoa-tree; and those are of so dwarfish and miserable a growth as to bear but very few nuts. These few, however, constitute the food of the inhabitants, with the exception of a species of fish caught occasionally near the shore. The only animals or creeping things known on the island are lizards and mice, and, during our stay there, scarcely a solitary sea-fowl was known to have alighted on the island, and but few fish were taken by the natives.

The character of the inhabitants much resembles that of the island itself. Cowardly and servile, yet most barbarous and cruel, they combine, in their habits, tempers, and dispositions, the most disgusting and loathsome features that disgrace humanity. And, what may be regarded as remarkable, the female portion of the inhabitants outstrip the men in cruelty and savage depravity; so much so, that we were frequently indebted to the tender mercies of the men for escapes from death at the hands of the women. The indolence of the natives, which not even the fear of starvation itself can rouse to exertion, prevents their undertaking the least toil, although a little labor, well applied, might be made to render them infinitely more comfortable.[5]

Strange as it may appear, it is nevertheless true, that, notwithstanding they are in this miserable condition, with no prospect of its ever being improved, they are of the opinion that they are highly favored. This can be accounted for in no other way than by the fact, that they are entirely ignorant of all that lies beyond the narrow limits of their observation. They know nothing of any other portion of the globe, than the mere speck of barren land upon which by some accident they were thrown, and where they remain, to drag out a wretched existence. Their traditions do not extend further back than to about a hundred years; and, to their simple minds, it seems like a splendid effort of mind to be able to relate, with tolerable accuracy, the time-hallowed stories told them by their parents. Whether they could in any way be improved by instruction, is a question which it would be difficult to answer. They seem to be doomed to remain, as one of the last links in the chain that connects our race with the mere animal part of the creation.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] They occasionally wore a kind of broad hat, called by them shappo, and sometimes shambaráro; which are evidently derived from the Portuguese chapeo (or possibly the French chapeau) and the Spanish sombrero.—Edit.

[5] Some of these remarks are taken from the New York Sun of May 30, 1835; for which paper the substance of them was furnished by Mr. Nute and myself.

CHAPTER VIII.

A ship discovered at a small distance from the island.—The natives prepare to go on board of her.—Captain Barnard and Bartlet Rollins, after being severely beaten, are allowed to go with the natives in their canoes, and thus effect their escape; the rest of the Mentor's people are still forcibly detained on the island.—Their hopes of being taken on board of the same ship are suddenly blasted.—Their despondency on that disappointment.—Return of the natives from the ship; their rage, and quarrels about the division of the articles procured on board of her.—They threaten to wreak their vengeance on the Mentor's people that remained with them.—Their cruel treatment of them.—A storm destroys the cocoa-nut trees and causes a scarcity of food.

We were captured and taken to the island December 6, 1832; and on the third day of February, 1833, two months wanting three days, captain Barnard and Bartlet Rollins effected their escape. Compared with the remainder of our captivity, our privations and sufferings up to that time were less severe. But at no time did we have sufficient food to satisfy the cravings of hunger! The very crumbs that fall from an ordinary table would have been to us a luxury; the swine of America are better fed than we were, on the most fortunate day of our residence upon that island.

It was on the day above mentioned that a ship was discovered a short distance from the island, and the natives immediately collected, and prepared to go to it, in order to obtain iron, or some other articles of value. Hope once more visited us. To escape was, of course, our strong desire and intention. Accordingly, when the canoes put off we attempted to go. Our savage masters interposed their authority, and by menaces and blows prevented us. Many of us were severely beaten, and all but two were detained by the brutal force of the savages. At length captain Barnard and Rollins, after being severely beaten, were allowed to accompany the natives to the ship, and succeeded in effecting their escape. Trusting to the humanity of the captain and crew, we for some time confidently expected, that they would contrive some way of enabling us to join them. They were in sight about three hours; at one time they were so near that we could distinctly see the hands on board; but judge of our feelings when we saw the vessel pursuing her course! Our expectations were all blasted in a moment, and our minds, which had been gladdened by the hope of once more enjoying the society of civilized beings, of once more reaching the shores of our beloved country, sunk back into a state of despair; we wept like children.

The natives, when they returned from the vessel, brought with them a small quantity of iron hoops, and a few articles of some little value, but they were highly dissatisfied with the amount received, and greatly enraged. The division of the property caused much difficulty, and they quarrelled about it for several days. Those of us who remained, though innocent, were the greatest sufferers. They held us accountable for the conduct of those who had left, and vented the malignity of their unfeeling hearts upon us. We were given to understand, that now our doom was fixed; that we should remain with them, and die the victims of our tormentors! Alas! it was but too true, that such was to be the fate of all but two of our number! We were destined to see one after another of our fellow-sufferers sink under the constantly increasing severity of the burdens imposed upon them, and perish either from actual starvation, or by the blows of the savages.

After the departure of the captain and Rollins, we were treated with much greater severity than we had been before. Generally we were aroused from our broken slumbers about sunrise, and compelled to go to work; we were usually employed in cultivating a species of vegetable somewhat resembling the yam, and called by them "koreï." This root is raised in beds of mud, which are prepared by digging out the sand, and filling the place with mould. The whole of this labor was performed with the hands. We were compelled day after day to stand in the mud from morning till night, and to turn up the mud with our hands. Frequently we were required to do this without receiving a morsel of food till about noon, and sometimes we were left without any thing to eat till night. At best we could get no more than a small piece of cocoa-nut, hardly a common sized mouthful, at a time, and if, either from exhaustion or any other cause, we neglected to perform the required amount of labor, our pittance of food was withheld altogether.

From this plain and unexaggerated account it will be seen, that our condition at best was bad enough; but a misfortune befell us which rendered it still worse. About four months from the time of our landing on that dreary spot, there was a violent storm, which came very near sweeping away the whole of the means of support which remained for the miserable inhabitants. The wind blew down many of the best cocoa trees, and materially injured the fruit on such as were left standing. Besides this, the low places in which they raised the root, by them called "korei," were mostly filled with sand, and famine stared us all in the face.

They attributed this misfortune to the anger of their god, and did not fail to use such means as they thought best calculated to appease him; and the calamity greatly added to our sufferings. Besides subjecting us to still more severe deprivations, we were compelled (though hardly able to drag our limbs from place to place) to labor in repairing the damage done by the storm. We were employed for months in carrying in our arms and on our shoulders pieces of the coral rock, in order to form a sort of seawall to prevent the waves from washing away the trees; and this drudgery, considering that we were naked, under a burning sun, and reduced to nothing but skin and bones, was too severe to admit of any thing like an adequate description. Our flesh, or, to speak more properly, our skin—for flesh we had none—was frequently so torn by the sharp corners of the rock, and scorched by the sun, as to resemble more that of the rhinoceros than of human beings.

CHAPTER IX.

The natives compel the Mentor's people to be tattooed.—Description of that painful operation.—They also oblige them to pluck their beards, &c.—Another vessel passes by the island; and, afterwards, a third comes in sight and remains for three days; the Mentor's people are closely guarded at these times.—The melancholy fate of William Sedon; and the barbarous murder of Peter Andrews.—Attack on H. Holden, who is protected by one of the natives, and escapes.—B. Nute and others are protected by the female natives from the fury of the men.—Death of one of the Pelew chiefs.—Another of the Pelew people is detected in stealing, and is punished in their manner.—Death of Milton Hewlet and Charles C. Bouket; leaving now only B. Nute, H. Holden, and the other Pelew chief, named Kobak, who all remained in a feeble and helpless condition.—Filthy practices of the natives.—Friendship of the surviving Pelew chief.

A new trial now awaited us. The barbarous beings among whom our lot had been cast, deemed it important that we should be tattooed, and we were compelled to submit to the distressing operation. We expostulated against it—we entreated—we begged to be spared this additional affliction; but our entreaties were of no use. Those savages were not to be moved, and we were compelled to submit; and that the reader may form some idea of the painful process, I will here give a brief account of it.

We were in the first place securely bound down to the ground, and there held fast by our tormentors. They then proceeded to draw with a sharp stick the figures designed to be imprinted on the skin. This done, the skin was thickly punctured with a little instrument made of sharpened fish bones, and somewhat resembling a carpenter's adz in miniature, but having teeth, instead of a smooth, sharp edge. This instrument was held within an inch or two of the flesh, and struck into it rapidly with a piece of wood, applied to it in such a manner as to cause it to rebound at every stroke. In this way our breasts and arms were prepared; and subsequently the ink, which was made of a vegetable found on the island called by them the "savvan," was applied. The operation caused such an inflammation of our bodies, that only a portion could be done at one time; and as soon as the inflammation abated another portion was done, as fast as we could bear it, till our bodies were covered. It was effectually done; for to this day the figures remain as distinct as they were when first imprinted, and the marks will be carried by us to the grave. They were exceedingly anxious to perform the operation upon our faces; but this we would not submit to, telling them that sooner than have it done we would die in resisting them. Among themselves, the oldest people had the greatest quantity of tattooing, and the younger class less.

Besides the operation of tattooing, they compelled us to pluck the hair from different parts of the body, and to pluck our beards about every ten days, which was extremely painful; and at every successive operation the beard grew out harder and stiffer.

About seventeen days after the captain and Rollins left, we saw a vessel to the windward; but the natives did not attempt to visit it. Five months afterwards another came in sight, and remained for three days near the island. At one time we could distinctly see the men on board; but we were kept on shore and closely guarded. Several canoes visited the ship, and brought back a few pieces of iron, fish-hooks, glass bottles, &c. We tried, but in vain, to escape. It seemed to us, that we were doomed to remain on that dreary spot, to wear out our remaining strength in hopeless bondage, and to submit to the control of brutal masters, whose tender mercies were cruelties. Death, in any form, would have been a relief, and often did we see moments when it would have been welcomed as the best of friends! To some of our companions it did come, though dreadful in the manner, yet as a not unwelcome alternative.

About a year after we first arrived at the island, William Sedon became so reduced as to deprive us of all hopes of his recovery. He looked like a skeleton; and, at last, was so entirely exhausted by hunger, as to be unable to walk, or even to rise from the ground. He continued, however, to crawl from place to place, until all his remaining strength was nearly gone, when the inhuman monsters placed him in an old canoe, and sent him adrift on the ocean! Gladly would his unhappy shipmates have extended to him the last sad offices of friendship; that poor consolation was denied both him and us! My heart bleeds at the recollection of our separation and his melancholy fate—when we saw him anxiously turn his languid eyes towards those who were doomed still to linger on the borders of the grave! Our sighs were breathed almost in silence, and our tears were shed in vain!

It may be observed here, that it is not their custom to deposit the bodies of any of their dead in the earth, except very young children. The bodies of grown people, after death, are laid in a canoe and committed to the ocean.

It was soon our lot to part with another of our companions, Peter Andrews. He was accused by the natives of some trifling offence, and put to death. The savages knocked him down with their clubs, and then despatched him in the most cruel and most shocking manner. I was at this time at a distance from the place where he was killed. My master was absent; and upon my hearing a noise in the direction of the place where the foul business was transacted, and suspecting that all was not right, I started to see what was going on. I was near the beach when I saw a number of the savages coming towards the spot where I stood, dragging along the lifeless and mangled body of our comrade! One of them approached me behind, and knocked me down with his club. The body of Andrews was thrown into the sea, and it seemed to be their determination to destroy the whole of us. I warded off the blows aimed at me as well as I could, and recovering myself, ran towards the hut of my master. He had not yet returned; but, fortunately, an old man, who had previously shown some regard for me, and who was the particular friend of my master, happened at that moment to be passing; and seizing the man who had pursued me, held him fast. I escaped and ran into the hut, and crawled up through an aperture in the floor into the chamber under the roof. I seized an old box and covered up the hole through which I had ascended; but this was not sufficient to detain, for any great length of time, the wretches who were thirsting for my blood. They soon succeeded in displacing the box, and one of them seized me; but just as he was pulling me from my place of refuge, my master returned with several of his friends, and rescued me from the clutches of my enemies.

In the mean time Nute and the rest of our companions were at the "Tahboo," a place of public resort, where, for the only time, the females rendered our people any assistance. They concealed the men under some mats, and kept them there till the fury of the natives had in a measure subsided.

We were next called upon to part with one of the Pelew chiefs who had come with us. He died of absolute starvation, and, according to custom, was committed to the waves in an old canoe. In a short time after this, the Pelew private (who had also come with us) was detected in the crime of taking a few cocoa-nuts without leave; for which offence he had his hands tied behind him, and was put into a canoe and sent adrift; which was their usual method of punishment for offences of different kinds.

About a year and seven months from the commencement of our captivity Milton Hewlet died, and, like the others, was, according to the custom of the natives, committed to the ocean. A short time afterwards Charles C. Bouket, having become so reduced by his sufferings as to be unable to help himself, was (horrible to relate!) placed in a canoe, while still alive, and committed to the mercy of the ocean. Thus did one after another of our companions sink under the weight of their sufferings, and perish without any alleviation of their wretchedness. Nute and myself, with our friend Kobac, the other Pelew chief, were all that remained; and we were constantly expecting that the next hour would end our existence.

The idea of death, however, had now become familiar; and often did we desire the release from suffering which that alone could afford. Nothing, as it now appears to us, but the kind interposition of Providence, could have continued our lives, and have given us the power of endurance to hold out so long as we did. We were frequently so reduced as to be unable to walk, and were forced to drag ourselves on our hands and knees to some place where we could lie down under the shade of a bush, and take rest. But the small comfort to be obtained in this way was greatly lessened by the annoyance of musquetoes, which could attack us with impunity in our helpless and feeble condition. Besides this, our flesh had so fallen away, that on lying down, our bones would actually pierce through the skin, giving us the most severe pain. After we were tattooed, the parts operated upon were, for a long time, running sores; and when exposed to the sun, the pain was excruciating.

It has been already said, that the natives were indolent, filthy and degraded, but the half has not been told; and some things which we witnessed cannot be related. The intercourse of the sexes was unrestrained by any law; and the decencies of life were almost entirely neglected. Instead of taking pains to keep clean, they seemed to be not unwilling to have their heads overrun with vermin; and however incredible it may seem, it is a disgusting truth, that they are accustomed to eat them; and particular care seems to be taken to keep those loathsome animals in the heads of the children. But I forbear any further particulars.

I have already said, that only two of the crew of the Mentor, namely, Nute and myself, remained alive, with the exception of captain Barnard and Rollins, who had fortunately escaped. The Pelew chief had become strongly attached to us, and we take pleasure in stating the fact, that his faithfulness and affection had greatly endeared him to us. He seemed more like a brother than a barbarian; and most gladly would we have saved him from those sufferings which, no doubt, before this time, have terminated his life. Alas! it was not in our power to administer to his relief; and when we last saw him he was but just alive.

CHAPTER X.

The feeble and exhausted condition of the survivors, Nute and Holden.—The natives consent to release them from labor, but refuse them food; and they obtain permission to leave the island in the first vessel, for a compensation to be made to the natives.—They crawl about from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and occasionally begging a little food of the natives, for two months.—Their sudden joy at hearing of a vessel coming towards the island.—It proves to be the British barque Britannia, captain Short, bound to Canton.—They are taken on board the Britannia, November 27, 1834, and treated with the kindest attention.—Their joy and gratitude at this happy termination of their sufferings.—They gradually recover their health so far as to take passage for America, in the ship Morrison, bound for New York, where they arrive May 5, 1835.—Acknowledgments for their kind reception at New York and Boston.

Having thus briefly related the story of our captivity and sufferings, it only remains to give an account of our escape from this barbarous people. We continued to survive the horrible sufferings to which we were constantly subjected, and to serve our tyrannical masters, in despite of our agonies of body and mind, till the beginning of the autumn of 1834; at which time we had become so emaciated, feeble, and sickly, that we found it impossible any longer even to attempt to labor. By this time we had acquired a sufficient knowledge of their tongue to converse fluently with the natives, and we informed our masters, that our feeble condition rendered it impossible for us to attempt to do any thing more. We also reasoned the matter with them, telling them that death was our inevitable doom, unless we were allowed to relax our labor; that if we died we could be of no service to them, but if allowed a respite, and we lived, and could be put on board a vessel, they should be liberally rewarded.

With much difficulty we at length persuaded our masters to allow us to quit labor, and obtained from them a promise to be put on board the first vessel that should come to the island. But, at the same time, they informed us, that if we ceased to work, they should cease to furnish the miserable allowance of cocoa-nut on which we had before subsisted, and that we must either labor or starve. We deemed death as welcome in one shape as in another, and relinquished our labors and our pittance of food together.

We were thus literally turned out to die! We crawled from place to place, subsisting upon leaves, and now and then begging of the natives a morsel of cocoa-nut. In this way we contrived to live for about two months, when the joyful intelligence was brought to us that a vessel was in sight, and was coming near the island! Hope once more revisited our despairing hearts, and seemed to inspire us with renewed strength and animation.

ESCAPE TO THE BRITANNIA. ESCAPE TO THE BRITANNIA.

After taxing our exhausted powers to the utmost, we persuaded the natives to prepare for visiting the vessel; and throwing our emaciated bodies into their canoes, we made for the ship with all possible despatch. The vessel proved to be the British barque Britannia, captain Short, bound to Canton. Our reception on board is faithfully described in the following certificate given by captain Short, the original of which is still in my possession:

Lintin, 29th December, 1834.

"This is to certify, that on the 27th day of November, 1834, off the small island commonly called Lord North's by the English, situated in latitude 3° 3' north, and longitude 131° 20' east, on board the British barque Britannia, bound to Canton river, we observed about ten or eleven canoes, containing upwards of one hundred men, approaching the vessel, in a calm, or nearly so, with the intention of coming alongside. But having the small complement of thirteen men, it was considered most prudent to keep them off, which was effected by firing a few six pound shots in a contrary direction from the boats, some of which were then within pistol-shot. At the same time hearing cries in our own language, begging to be taken on board, the boat was despatched away to know the cause. The boat returned to the ship, and reported an American on board one of them. She was then sent back, having strict orders to act with caution, and the man got from the canoe into the sea, and was taken up by the ship's boat, and brought on board. He then stated in what manner he came there, and said he had another of his countrymen in another canoe. I said if we could get some of the boats dispersed, that every assistance should be rendered for the liberty of the other man. Accordingly they did so, all but three. The ship's boat was then despatched in search, and soon found the other man. He was brought on board, but in a most deplorable condition with fever, from the effects of a miserable subsistence. These two poor fellows were quite naked, under a burning sun. They appeared to bear all the marks of their long servitude, and I should suppose two or three days would have been the end of the last man taken on board, but from this act of Providence. It appears that these men were wrecked in the ship Mentor, on the Pelew islands, and were proceeding with their commander to some Dutch settlement, in one of the Pelew island canoes, when they got to the afore-mentioned island, and were detained by the natives; and that captain Edward C. Barnard had got on board some ship, and reached Canton river shortly after their detention at the island; which has been confirmed by the different masters now at the port of Lintin.

"The statement given in to me by the two men runs thus:—That they were wrecked May 21st, 1832, on the Pelew islands, and detained on Lord North's island 6th December, 1832. The two men's names are Benjamin H. Nute and Horace Holden. I should thank any ship master now in port, acquainted with the circumstance, to confirm it by his signature, in order to make some provision for those men, should they require it. But from the disposition and liberality of those American gentlemen coming forward, that are already acquainted with the circumstance, perhaps it will be unnecessary. At the same time I shall be very willing to draw up any form, or in any other way that I may forward their views, according to the opinion of their American friends. I should hope that every vessel passing in the direction of the afore-mentioned island, passing any of their boats, will give them a trifle. I gave them what articles those two men thought most beneficial, and should have held a closer communication with them had I been better manned and armed.

Henry Short, Barque Britannia."

Never shall we find words to express our joy at once more finding ourselves in the company of civilized men! Nor can we be too grateful to captain Short, and his officers and crew, for their kind attentions during our passage to Lintin. Every thing in their power was done to restore our health and strength, and to render us comfortable. On arriving at Lintin we found ourselves sufficiently recovered to be able to pass up the river to Canton. We remained there, at the factories, under medical treatment, until the ship Morrison, of New York, was ready to sail; when we took passage in her for our native country, and arrived in New York on the 5th day of May, 1835.

In New York we found many kind friends, who took a lively interest in our behalf. We would particularly acknowledge a debt of gratitude which we owe to Mr. John Munson, who opened his hospitable dwelling for our reception, and with whom we tarried for several weeks. Assisted by the humane and philanthropic citizens of New York, we have been enabled to reach Boston. Here Providence has raised us up warm friends, through whose assistance we have been rendered as comfortable as could under any circumstances have been expected.

In compliance with the solicitations of many respectable gentlemen, the foregoing narrative is submitted to the public, with the hope that it may not be entirely uninteresting, and not without use. Every statement may be relied upon as strictly true; and it is believed, that, simple and unadorned as is our story, it may serve to afford some information of a little spot hitherto supposed to be uninhabited, and to present to view of the curious and intelligent some knowledge of a portion of our race among whom no white man has ever before lived.

To captain Barnard the author of the statements in this narrative is under great obligations for his uniformly kind treatment previous to the loss of the Mentor, and during the whole time we were together. We have no reason to doubt, that he did all in his power to obtain our release from captivity at the time when he was himself so fortunate as to escape; and not the least blame is to be imputed to him on account of the disasters that befell us.

Of the twenty-two persons who composed the ship's company of the Mentor when she sailed from New Bedford, only four have returned. It has been reported, that one of the three who was left at the Pelew islands escaped a few months since. If such be the case only two remain there; and it is hoped that some measures will soon be adopted, either by the government or by humane individuals, to rescue them from their painful and distressing situation.

I cannot close this narrative without expressing the most heart-felt gratitude to that kind Providence which has sustained us under trials and sufferings the most severe, and returned us to our homes and friends. And may those who have been to us friends indeed, find an ample reward for their generosity, in the consciousness of having been influenced by those sentiments and feelings which best adorn and dignify the human character!

Boston, November, 1835.

APPENDIX.

VOCABULARY
OF THE LANGUAGE OF LORD NORTH'S ISLAND.

The language of the inhabitants of Lord North's island appears to be a new and hitherto unknown dialect of the Polynesian family of languages. According to the preceding Narrative, it was wholly unintelligible to the Pelew chiefs who accompanied the crew of the Mentor when they were made captives. To judge by the numerals, and a few other words, which have been collected by travellers, it has a near affinity to the dialects of the neighboring Caroline islands.

In the selection of words for the following vocabulary, we have principally followed the list of English words in Keate's Account of the Pelew Islands, but have added several from the Empress Catherine's Vocabulary; distinguishing by small capitals all the words which correspond to those in that Vocabulary. Some short dialogues are subjoined to the vocabulary.

The orthography adopted is that of the English language; it being the most useful to such of our navigators as may chance to visit Lord North's island or those in its vicinity. It is only necessary to state particularly, that ay is to be pronounced like aye, or ah-ee; g, always hard, as in go; ng, in the middle of a word, as it is at the end; as, for example, in the English word hanger, and not as in the word anger, (ang-ger;) and zh is to be pronounced like s in pleasure, or the French j.

It is proper to remark, that the words of the language here given, not having been furnished by natives of the island, are to be received rather as approximations than as perfectly exact specimens of the language; but the comparisons made with kindred dialects lead us to believe, that they are as exact as are usually obtained from similar sources. Two years' residence in the island strongly impressed the language in the memory of the unfortunate captives.

And, mah.

Arm. (See Hand.)

Back, tukkalek´.

Bad, tuhmah´.

Bamboo, sheel, or shil.[6]

Beard, koosum. (See Hair.)

Belly, mish´ee-um.

Belt, (worn by the men,) tap´pah.

Big, yennup.

Bird, kar´rum.

Black, wayzer´ris, (wah-ee-zerris.)

Boat, prow, (prah-oo.)

Bone, cheel.

Boy. (See Man.)

Brass, mullebah´dee.

Breast (of a female,) toot.[7]

Brother, biz´zheem, or biz´zhim.

Canoe, (the same as Boat.)

Child, (of two or three years old,) lah´bo.

Clouds, kotcho.

Cocoa-nut, (when ripe,) kahrah´pah; (when very young,) soob; (when the husk is so hard as to require breaking with a stone,) chou, or chah-oo.

Cold, makkrazm´.

Come, (verb, the same as to go,) mo´rahbeeto.

Copper, (the same as Brass.)

Cord, (small line) kreel.

Darkness, klo-wayzer´ris.

Day, yahro, (the same as Sun.)

Dead, poo´ruk.

Dirt, yuhbur´.

Drink, (verb,) lim´mah.

Dust. (See Dirt.)

Eat, muk´kah.

Father, wur´teemum; (used also for Friend.)

Fingers, kay´muk, (the same as Hand.)

Fire, yah, or yahf.

Fish, ee´kah.

Fish-hook, kah-oo eekah.

Fishing net, shibbo´.

Fly, (the insect,) lahng.

Foot, petchem´; (applied to the foot, leg, and thigh.)

Friend. (See Father.)

Girl, pah´chik vay-ee´vee; (literally, a little woman.)

Go. (See Come.)

Good, yissung.

God, yarris. (They had images of twelve gods.)

Grass, waw´ree.

Hair, (of the head,) chim. (See Beard.)

Hand, kay´muk. (See Fingers.)

Head, mitch´eemum.

Here, atid´dee, or ettid´dee.

House. (See Hut.)

Hungry, surmah´.

Hut, or house, yim.

I, (myself,) nang.

Iron, pahng-ul; also pishoo.

Iron hoop, chee´pah; (i. e. pieces of iron hoops, of which they make knives, &c.)

Kill, (verb,) mah´tee.

Large. (See Big.)

Laugh, (verb,) mee´mee.

Leaf, (of a cocoa-nut tree,) trillah.

Leg. (See Foot.)

Lightning, visseeg´.

Little. (See Small.)

Lizard, peelel´.

Man, mah´ree, or mah.

Many, pee´pee.

Milk, toot. (See Breast.)

My, mine; e. g. my cocoa-nut, kahrah´pah ah nang.

Moon, muk´kum.

Mother, mish´erum.

Mouse. (See Rat.)

Musquetoe, lahm.

Near to, yah peteh´to, or petetto.

Night, neebo´; (also by night.)

No, taw, or tah-oo.

Numerals. (See the list at the end of this vocabulary.)

Oar. (See Paddle.)

Old, (i. e. from twenty years upwards,) mahzoo´-ee; very old, mahzoo-ee ah va; also, butchee butch chim, literally, the hair is white.

Paddle, vettel.

People, pee´pee ah mah´ree; literally, many men.

Rain, (it rains,) oot; it does not rain, taw oot.

Rat, tum´meeum.

Reef (of rocks,) ahrah´-oo.

Rope, tah´ree. (See Cord.)

Sand, (or shoal in the sea,) pee. This word means simply the sand.

Sea, (salt water,) taht.

Shark, po.

Ship, waw´wee.

Short, yuhmoat´, or yah moat´.

Sick, makkah´kes; I am not sick, nang tay makkah´kes.

Sister, mee´ang-um.

Sleep, mus´see, or mummah teed´ee.

Small, pah´chik; very small, (as a grain of sand,) pahchik-gitchee-gee.

Son, (or daughter,) lah´bo. (See Child.)

Stars, vish.

Stone, vahs.

Storm, pee´pee oot; i. e. much rain.

Strong, (in good health,) yuhkayl´.

Sun, yah´ro.

Tahboo´, the religious interdiction called tahboo, which is common in the islands of the Pacific ocean, and which is also used in Lord North's island.

Talk, (verb,) tee´tree; e. g. tee´tree Inglish, talk English; tee´tree To´bee, talk To´bee, or the language of the island.

Tattoo, (verb,) ver´ree-ver´-ree.

There, a-tur´nah.

Thou, or you, gur.

Thunder, pah; pah zah tee´tree, it thunders; literally, the thunder speaks. When it thunders, they say, Yarris tee´tree, God is speaking.

To-morrow, waw´rah-zoo´rah.

Tree. (See Wood.)

Turtle, wah´ree.

Water, (fresh,) tah´roo.

——, (salt,) taht.

Whale, kahs.

What; (what is that,) mahtah´men ah menno.

White, butch´ee butch.

Why, bah.

Wind, yang.

Woman, vay-ee´vee; a young woman, wer´ree-wedg vay-ee´vee.

Wood, (trees,) tummutch´ee; tabur´rah eek´ah, the stem or trunk.

Yellow, arrang´.

Yes, ee´lah.

Yesterday, rollo; yesterday night, rollo neebo´.

You, or thou, gur.

NUMERALS

One, | yaht | Eleven, | sa-kum ah soo´
Two, | guhloo´ | Twelve, | sa-kum ah goo-o´
Three, | yah | Thirteen, | sa-kum ah sa-roo´
Four, | vahn | Fourteen, | sa-kum ah vah´oo
Five, | neem | Fifteen, | sa-kum ah leemo´
Six, | yah-woar´ | Sixteen, | sa-kum ah wahroo´
Seven, | yah-veesh´ | Seventeen, | sa-kum ah weeshoo´
Eight, | yah-wah´ | Eighteen, | sa-kum ah wahrew´
Nine, | yah-too´ | Nineteen, | sa-kum ah tee-o´
Ten, | yah-saik´ (sake) | Twenty, | sa-kum ah gloo-o´
Ten, | saik | Sixty, | woar-eek´
Twenty, | goowaik´ | Seventy, | vesheek´
Thirty, | sa-reek´ | Eighty, | wahreck´
Forty, | vah-eek´ | Ninety, | tew-week´
Fifty, | leemaik (leemake) | Hundred, | surbung; &c.[8]

The inhabitants of Lord North's island seldom count above a hundred; but when they wish to express a larger number they do it by a repetition of the syllable saik, (ten,) in this manner:—sakum ah saik, ah saik, ah saik, &c.

In counting cocoa-nuts, they use the following numerals:—

One, | soo | Six, | woarroo
Two, | goo-o´ | Seven, | veeshoo´
Three, | sa-roo´ | Eight, | tee-oo
Four, | vah´o | Nine, | wahrew´
Five, | leemo´ | Ten, | saik

In counting fish they have still a different set of numbers:—

Seemul eekah, one fish | Vahmul eekah, four fishes
Gwimmul eekah, two fishes | Neemul eekah, five fishes
Sreemul eekah, three fishes | Waw´remul eekah, six fishes
Vish-ee ahmul eekah, seven fishes | Too-ee´mul eekah, nine fishes
War´remul eekah, eight fishes | Saik eekah, ten fishes

DIALOGUES IN THE LANGUAGE OF LORD NORTH'S ISLAND.

Tee´mit, tay too attee´dee, nang ver´ree-ver´ree gur; mah´ree To´bee tay ver´ree-ver´ree man Inglish mo´ree pooruk; zahbee´to Yarris yettah´men man Inglish.

Horace, come here, for I am going to tattoo you; if To´bee man does not tattoo Englishman he will die; Yarris (God) will come and Englishman will go immediately out of sight; i. e. be destroyed.

They perform the process of tattooing by means of a little instrument, made either of a thin, flat fish-bone, or of the wing bone of a large sea-bird. The blade of the instrument (as it may be called) is about an inch long; it is fixed upon a little handle, about four inches in length, and the whole instrument may be compared to a carpenter's adz, in miniature; except that the edge, instead of being straight, and smooth for cutting, is made into teeth for puncturing the skin. This little instrument is held in the left hand, with the edge or teeth directly over the place to be punctured, and successive blows are then struck upon it, with a small stick of iron-wood, resembling a drumstick, and of about two pounds' weight, until the coloring matter is sufficiently pricked into the skin.[9]

Before commencing the operation they mix the coloring liquid (before described, page 102) in a cocoa-nut shell. They then compel you to lie down upon the ground in such a position that the part of the body which is to be tattooed shall lie uppermost. After this, with a slender, flexible stick dipped in the liquid, they mark out upon the body the figures that are to be imprinted in the skin; then they dip the teeth of the tattooing instrument in the liquid, and by successive strokes, as above mentioned, prick it into the skin, till it is completed to their taste. During the operation you are surrounded by men, women, and children, all singing a kind of chorus or song adapted to the occasion; and if any complaint escapes you, from the severe treatment of the operators, (of whom there are generally two,) the whole company strikes up a louder strain, apparently as if rejoicing. The spirited wood cut accompanying this volume gives a very correct representation of this important ceremony.

After captain Barnard and Rollins escaped from the island, the natives would often ask of Holden and Nute where they thought Peeter Inglish (their name for the captain) was;[10] they were answered, that he was on his passage to England. They would then say,—

Ah! Peeter Inglish taw borobeeto Inglish; Peeter Inglish yepee´lif tang ah nee mah´ree ah To´bee ah pahng-ul; Peeter Inglish mo´ree poo´ruk woar ah taht; Peeter Inglish tee´tree tee´tree mah´ree To´bee pee´pee pee´pee ah pahng-ul, pee´pee ah lego´, pee´pee ah mullebah´dee; shaik, man Inglish yepee´lif tuhmah´; mah´ree ah To´bee zah so zah tee´tree Yarris, waurwa ah Inglish cher prow tay beeto woar Inglish.

Ah! the captain will never get to England; the captain was a thief; he had not given To´bee man any iron, and he would die at sea; the captain talked, and talked with To´bee men, (that they should have) much iron, great many clothes, and much brass; for shame! Englishmen (are) all thieves and bad men; To´bee men (are) very angry; (we) will speak to God, and he will make the ship founder at sea, and the captain never will arrive in England.

Whenever Holden or Nute expressed a wish to go to England, the natives would say to them,—

Gur zah beeto Inglish bah? Taw ah muk´kah woar Inglish; gur zah beeto Inglish, gur mo´ree poo´ruk; mah´ree Inglish muk´kah ketch´ee etch´ee, omah ah yahpuk gur mum´mee tee´dee ah To´bee, yevvers mah´ree To´bee yissung ah mukkah.

What do you (wish to) go to England for? There is nothing to eat in England; if you go to England you will die; Englishmen eat rats and snails and filth; if you stay in To´bee you will live; To´bee men have very good (food) to eat.

Dialogue between Horace Holden and his master Pahrahbooah.

H. Pahrahbooah, gur zah wosheeto ah nang woar ah prow, nang zah beeto Inglish; nang zah mum´mah tee´dee ah To´bee zah pooruk, taw ah muk´kah woar To´bee; woar Inglish pee´pee ah muk´kah, pee´pee, pee´pee; gur zah wosheeto ah nang woar ah prow nang zah lee ah gur pee´pee ah pahng-ul, pee´pee ah lego´, pee´pee ah mullebah´dee; gur tay wosheeto ah nang zah poo´ruk woar ah To´bee, gur taw ah pishoo.

H. Pahrahbooah, if you will put me on board of a ship I will go to England; if I remain at To´bee (Lord North's) I shall die, for there is nothing to eat on To´bee; in England, much food, much, much; and if you will put me on board of a ship, I will give you much iron, many clothes, and much brass; if you do not put me (on board) I shall die on To´bee, and you (will get) no iron.

P. Hah, nang tay wosheeto ah gur; gur tee´tree tuhmah; gur tang ah nee nang ah pahng-ul; Peeter Inglish yepee´lif, gur yepee´lif, mah´ree ah Inglish yepee´lif, senah-messen´; tuhmah man Inglish; gur mummah tee´dee woar To´bee, zah pooruk ah To´bee.

P. Ah! I will not let you go; you talk bad; you will not give me any iron; Peeter Inglish is a thief, you are a thief, all Englishmen (are) thieves and liars; Englishmen (are) bad men; you (are) to stay on To´bee, to die on To´bee.

Another Dialogue between the same persons.

P. Tee´mit, gur zah beeto Inglish gur zahnee mah´ree To´bee ah pahng-ul, yennup way´sa teberëe´kah yennup ah tepo´ee ah waus´sa, ah lego´, kah-oo eekah, zis ah pishoo´ ah teet ah tuv´vatif, ah mullebah´dee, zah beeto To´bee zah lee wur´teemum ah gur?

P. Horace, if you go to England will you give the men of To´bee iron of a large size, as big as a stick of wood, and big axes, and knives, and cloth, and fish-hooks, an anvil and hammer, and needles, a trunk, and brass, and then come back to To´bee and give them to your father?

H. Ee´lah, nang zah beeto Inglish nang zahnee mahree To´bee ah pahng-ul yennup, ah tepo´-ee, ah waus´sa, ah lego´, kah-oo eekah, zis ah pishoo´, ah teet, ah tuv´vatif, ah mullebah´dee, zah beeto To´bee, zah lee wur´teemum ah nang.

H. Yes, I will go to England, and I will give to the men of To´bee iron of a large size, and big axes, and knives, and cloth, and fish-hooks, an anvil, and needles, and trunks, and brass, and then come back to To´bee and give them to my father.

P. Gur zah beeto Inglish gur dee mum´mah tee´dee woar Inglish, taw borobee´to To´bee, gur zah yuh-woon; tuhmah taw muhpeer klo dung-ah-rang-us.

P. If you go to England you will stop (sleep) there, and not return to To´bee; this (will be) bad and not friendly, and you will be a bad man.

H. Nang zah beeto Inglish, nang dak mum´mah teedee woar Inglish, nang zah beeto To´bee.

H. If I go to England I will not stop (sleep) there, but return to To´bee immediately.

P. Gur too-ay-go´rah beeto Inglish, gur mo´ree pooruk woar ah taht, gur tay beeto To´bee.

P. You do not know the way to England; you will die (or be lost) at sea, and not come to To´bee.

H. Hah! nang yego´rah beeto Inglish, taw mo´ree pooruk woar ah taht.

H. Aye, I do know the way to England; I shall not die (or be lost) at sea.

P. Gur ahnee ah prow woar Inglish, pee´pee ah pahng-ul, ah lego´, kahrahpah, ah vay-ee´vee pee´pee, ah mahree pee´pee, ah lah´bo?

P. Have you got ships in England, and a great deal of iron, and cloths and cocoa-nuts, and many men, women, and children?

H. Eelah, nang yuhwo´ ah prow woar Inglish, pee´pee ah pahng-ul, ah lego´, kahrahpah ah vay-ee´vee, pee´pee ah mah´ree, pee´pee ah lah´bo.

H. Yes, I have got ships in England, much iron, and cloths, and cocoa-nuts, and women, and a great many men and children.

P. Gur mukkah woar Inglish pee´pee?

P. Do you eat in England a plenty?

H. Eelah, nang mukkah woar Inglish pee´pee.

H. Yes, in England I eat a plenty, (or much.)

P. Tee´mit, gur zah beeto Inglish woshee´to ah pahng-ul woshee´to ah lego´, ah mullebah´dee, ah tepo-ee, ah kah-oo eekah, mo´ree To´bee zah lee mah´ree To´bee, gur muhpeer, gur yissung ah mah´ree, muhpeer muhpeer.

P. Horace, if you go to England, and fetch us iron, and cloths, and brass, and axes, and fish-hooks, to To´bee, and give them to To´bee men, you (will be) our friend, a very good man, a very great friend; (literally, a friend, a friend.)

H. Eelah, nang zah beeto Inglish, nang wosheeto ah pahng-ul, wosheeto ah lego´, ah mullebah´dee, ah tepo-ee, ah kah-oo eekah, woar To´bee zah lee mah´ree To´bee.

H. Yes, (if) I go to England I will fetch you iron, and fetch cloths and brass, and axes and fish-hooks, to To´bee, and give them to the people of To´bee.

P. Tee´mit, gur zah beeto Inglish gur tay beeto To´bee, mah´ree To´bee zah tee´tree Yarris, gur moree pooruk.

P. Horace, if you go to England and do not come back to To´bee, the men of To´bee will talk to God and you will die.

H. Nang zah beeto Inglish, nang de mummah tee´dee, ah turt zah beeto To´bee.

H. I will go to England and stop a short time, (i. e. sleep there,) and shall return to To´bee.

P. Tee´mit, gur zah beeto venne Yarris, gur tay beeto, gur mo´ree pooruk.

P. Horace, if you do not go to Yarris´ house, (i. e. the place of worship,) you will die.

H. Tur pay; nang zah beeto.

H. Wait a minute; I will go.

Verrah mahtah gur?

What is your name?

FOOTNOTES:

[6] No bamboo grows on Lord North's island, but it frequently drifts ashore, and the natives make knives of it.

[7] Used also by the Pelew Islanders.

[8] Numerals of the Caroline Islands, from the Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean, 4to, London, 1799.

One, | iota | Six, | honoo
Two, | rua | Seven, | fizoo
Three, | toloo | Eight, | wartow,
Four, | tia | Nine, | shievo
Five, | leema | Ten, | segga

[9] Tattooing instruments may be seen in the valuable East India museum, at Salem; and perhaps in some of the museums in Boston.

[10] What the import of this name Peeter was, we are unable to determine. They gave the same appellation to a character of great celebrity in their history, whose entire name was Peeter Kart; and who, according to their traditions, came from the island of Ternate, many years ago, and gave them their religion and such simple arts as they possessed. They said he was of a copper color, like themselves.

Transcriber's Notes

1. The author was inconsistent in his use of accents with some of the words in the language of Lord North's island. This inconsistency remains as originally published.

2. Some of the last words of the native's dialogue was moved to the previous page for readibility. This occured on the following pages:

130 text moved to page 129
131 text moved to page 130
133 text moved to page 132

3. The illustration "Escape to Britannia" has been moved from between page 114 and 115 to page 113.

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