A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xv Part 48

From the prince we returned to the king. By this time he had got up, and had a crowded circle before him, composed chiefly of old men. While a large bowl of _kava_ was preparing, a baked hog and yarns, smoking hot, were brought in; the greatest part of which fell to our share, and was very acceptable to the boat's crew; for these people eat very little in a morning, especially the _kava_-drinkers. I afterward walked out, and visited several other chiefs, and found that all of them were taking their morning draught, or had already taken it. Returning to the king, I found him asleep in a small retired hut, with two women tapping on his breech. About eleven o'clock he arose again, and then some fish and yams, which tasted as if they had been stewed in cocoa-nut milk, were brought to him. Of these he eat a large portion, and lay down once more to sleep. I now left him, and carried to the prince a present of cloth, beads, and other articles, which I had brought with me from the ship for the purpose. There was a sufficient quant.i.ty of cloth to make him a complete suit, and he was immediately decked out with it. Proud of his dress, he first went to shew himself to his father, and then conducted me to his mother, with whom were about ten or a dozen other women of a respectable appearance. Here the prince changed his apparel, and made me a present of two pieces of the cloth manufactured in the island. By this time it was past noon, when, by appointment, I repaired to the palace to dinner. Several of our gentlemen had returned this morning from the ships, and we were all invited to the feast, which was presently served up, and consisted of two pigs and yams. I roused the drowsy monarch to partake of what he had provided for our entertainment. In the mean time, two mullets, and some sh.e.l.lfish, were brought to him, as I supposed, for his separate portion. But he joined it to our fare, sat down with us, and made a hearty meal.

When dinner was over, we were told that the ceremony would soon begin, and were strictly enjoined not to walk out. I had resolved, however, to peep no longer from behind the curtain, but to mix with the actors themselves, if possible. With this view, I stole out from the plantation, and walked toward the _morai_, the scene of the solemnity. I was several times desired to go back by people whom I met, but I paid no regard to them, and they suffered me to pa.s.s on. When I arrived at the _morai_, I found a number of men seated on the side of the area, on each side of the road that leads up to it. A few were sitting on the opposite side of the area, and two men in the middle of it, with their, faces turned to the _morai_. When I got into the midst of the first company, I was desired to sit down, which I accordingly did. Where I sat, there were lying a number of small bundles or parcels, composed of cocoa-nut leaves, and tied to sticks made into the form of hand-barrows.

All the information I could get about them was, that they were _taboo_.

Our number kept continually increasing, every one coming from the same quarter. From time to time, one or another of the company turned himself to those who were coming to join us, and made a short speech, in which I could remark that the word _arekee_, that is, king, was generally mentioned. One man said something that produced bursts of hearty laughter from all the crowd; others of the speakers met with public applause. I was several times desired to leave the place, and, at last, when they found that I would not stir, after some seeming consultation, they applied to me to uncover my shoulders as theirs were. With this request I complied, and then they seemed to be no longer uneasy at my presence.

I sat a full hour, without any thing more going forward, beside what I have mentioned. At length the prince, the women, and the king, all came in, as they had done the day before. The prince being placed under the shed, after his father's arrival, two men, each carrying a piece of mat, came repeating something seriously, and put them about him. The a.s.sembled people now began their operations; and first, three companies ran backward and forward across the area, as described in the account of the proceedings of the former day. Soon after, the two men, who sat in the middle of the area, made a short speech or prayer, and then the whole body, amongst whom I had my place, started up, and ran and seated themselves before the shed under which the prince, and three or four men, were sitting. I was now partly under the management of one of the company, who seemed very a.s.siduous to serve me. By his means, I was placed in such a situation, that if I had been allowed to make use of my eyes, nothing that pa.s.sed could have escaped me. But it was necessary to sit with down-cast looks, and demure as maids.

Soon after the procession came in, as on the day before; each two persons bearing on their shoulders a pole, round the middle of which, a cocoa-nut leaf was plaited. These were deposited with ceremonies similar to those observed on the preceding day. This first procession was followed by a second; the men composing which, brought baskets, such as are usually employed by this people to carry provisions in, and made of palm leaves. These were followed, by a third procession, in which were brought different kinds of small fish, each fixed at the end of a forked stick. The baskets were carried up to an old man, whom I took to be the chief priest, and who sat on the prince's right hand, without the shed.

He held each in his hand, while he made a short speech or prayer, then laid it down, and called for another, repeating the same words as before; and thus he went through the whole number of baskets. The fish were presented, one by one, on the forked sticks, as they came in, to two men, who sat on the left, and who, till now, held green branches in their hands. The first fish they laid down on their right, and the second on their left. When the third was presented, a stout-looking man, who sat behind the other two, reached his arm over between them, and made a s.n.a.t.c.h at it; as also did the other two at the very same time.

Thus they seemed to contend for every fish that was presented; but as there were two hands against one, besides the advantage of situation, the man behind got nothing but pieces; for he never quitted his bold, till the fish was torn out of his hand, and what little remained in it he shook out behind him. The others laid what they got on the right and left alternately. At length, either by accident or design, the man behind got possession of a whole fish, without either of the other two so much as touching it. At this the word _mareeai_, which signifies _very good_ or _well done_, was uttered in a low voice throughout the whole crowd. It seemed that he had performed now all that was expected from him, for he made no attempt upon the few fish that came after.

These fish, as also the baskets, were all delivered, by the persons who brought them in, sitting; and, in the same order and manner, the small poles, which the first procession carried, had been laid upon the ground.

The last procession being closed, there was some speaking or praying by different persons. Then, on some signal being given, we all started up, ran several paces to the left, and sat down with our backs to the prince, and the few who remained with him; I was desired not to look behind me. However, neither this injunction nor the remembrance of Lot's wife, discouraged me from facing about. I now saw that the prince had turned his face to the _morai_. But this last movement had brought so many people between him and me, that I could not perceive what was doing. I was afterward a.s.sured, that, at this very time, the prince was admitted to the high honour of eating with his father, which, till now, had never been permitted to him; a piece of roasted yam being presented to each of them for this purpose; This was the more probable, as we had been told before-hand, that this was to happen during the solemnity, and as all the people turned their backs to them at this time, which they always do when their monarch eats.

After some little time, we all faced about, and formed a semicircle before the prince, leaving a large open s.p.a.ce between us. Presently there appeared some men coming toward us, two and two, bearing large sticks or poles upon their shoulders, making a noise that might be called singing, and waving their hands as they advanced. When they had got close up to us, they made a shew of walking very fast, without proceeding a single step. Immediately after, three or four men started up from the crowd, with large sticks in their hands, who ran toward those newcomers. The latter instantly threw down the poles from their shoulders, and scampered off; and the others attacked the poles, and, having beat them most unmercifully, returned to their places. As the pole-bearers ran off, they gave the challenge that is usual here in wrestling; and, not long after, a number of stout fellows came from the same quarter, repeating the challenge as they advanced. These were opposed by a party who came from the opposite side almost at the same instant. The two parties paraded about the area for a few minutes, and then retired, each to their own side. After this, there were wrestling and boxing-matches for about half an hour. Then two men seated themselves before the prince, and made speeches, addressed, as I thought, entirely to him. With this the solemnity ended, and the whole a.s.sembly broke up.

I now went and examined the several baskets which had been presented; a curiosity that I was not allowed before to indulge, because every thing was then _taboo_. But the solemnity being now over, they became simply what I found them to be, empty baskets. So that, whatever they were supposed to contain, was emblematically represented. And so, indeed, was every other thing which had been brought in procession, except the fish.

We endeavoured in vain to find out the meaning, not only of the ceremony in general, which is called _Natche_, but of its different parts. We seldom got any other answer to our enquiries, but _taboo_, a word which, I have before observed, is applied to many other things. But as the prince was evidently the princ.i.p.al person concerned in it, and as we had been told by the king ten days before the celebration of the _Natche_, that the people would bring in yams for him and his son to eat together, and as he even described some part of the ceremony, we concluded, from what he had then said, and from what we now saw, that an oath of allegiance, if I may so express myself, or solemn promise, was on this occasion made to the prince, as the immediate successor to the regal dignity, to stand by him, and to furnish him with the several articles that were here emblematically represented. This seems the more probable, as all the princ.i.p.al people of the island, whom we had ever seen, a.s.sisted in the processions. But, be this as it may, the whole was conducted with a great deal of mysterious solemnity; and that there was a mixture of religion in the inst.i.tution was evident, not only from the place where it was performed, but from the manner of performing it. Our dress and deportment had never been called in question upon any former occasion whatever. Now, it was expected that we should be uncovered as low as the waist; that our hair should be loose, and flowing over our shoulders; that we should, like themselves, sit cross-legged; and, at times, in the most humble posture, with down-cast eyes, and hands locked together; all which requisites were most devoutly observed by the whole a.s.sembly. And, lastly, every one was excluded from the solemnity; but the princ.i.p.al people, and those who a.s.sisted in the celebration. All these circ.u.mstances were to me a sufficient testimony, that, upon this occasion, they consider themselves as acting under the immediate inspection of a Supreme Being;

The present _Natche_ may be considered, from the above account of it, as merely figurative. For the small quant.i.ty of yams, which we saw the first day, could not be intended as a general contribution; and, indeed, we were given to understand, that they were a portion consecrated to the _Otooa_, or Divinity. But we were informed, that, in about three months, there would be performed, on the same account, a far more important and grander solemnity; on which occasion, not only the tribute of Tongataboo, but that of Hepaee, Vavaoo, and of all the other islands; would be brought to the chief, and confirmed more awfully, by sacrificing ten human victims from amongst the inferior sort of people.

A horrid solemnity indeed! and which is a most significant instance of the influence of gloomy and ignorant superst.i.tion, over the minds of one of the most benevolent and humane nations upon earth. On enquiring into the reasons of so barbarous a practice, they only said, that it was a necessary part of the _Natche_, and that, if they omitted it, the Deity would certainly destroy their king.

Before the a.s.sembly broke up, the day was far spent; and as we were at some distance from the ships, and had an intricate navigation to go through, we were in haste to set out from Mooa. When I took leave of Poulaho, he pressed me much to stay till the next day, to be present at a funeral ceremony. The wife of Mareewagee, who was mother-in-law to the king, had lately died, and her corpse had, on account of the _Natche_, been carried on board a canoe that lay in the _lagoon_. Poulaho told me, that, as soon as he had paid the last offices to her, he would attend me to Eooa, but, if I did not wait, he would follow me thither. I understood at the same time, that, if it had not been for the death of this woman, most of the chiefs would have accompanied us to that island, where, it seems, all of them have possessions. I would gladly have waited to see this ceremony also, had not the tide been now favourable for the ships to get through the narrows. The wind besides, which, for several days past, had been very boisterous, was now moderate and settled, and to have lost this opportunity, might have detained us a fortnight longer. But what was decisive against my waiting, we understood that the funeral ceremonies would last five days, which was too long a time, as the ships lay in such a situation, that I could not get to sea at pleasure. I, however, a.s.sured the king, that, if we did not sail, I should certainly visit him again the next day. And so we all took leave of him, and set out for the ships, where we arrived about eight o'clock in the evening.

I had forgot to mention, that Omai was present at this second day's ceremony as well as myself, but we were not together, nor did I know that he was there, till it was almost over. He afterward told me, that, as soon as the king saw that I had stolen out from the plantation, he sent several people, one after another, to desire me to come back.

Probably, these messengers were not admitted to the place where I was, for I saw nothing of them. At last, intelligence was brought to the chief, that I had actually stripped, in conformity to their custom; and then he told Omai, that he might be present also, if he would comply with all necessary forms. Omai had no objection, as nothing was required of him, but to conform to the custom of his own country. Accordingly, he was furnished with a proper dress, and appeared at the ceremony as one of the natives. It is likely, that one reason of our being excluded at first, was an apprehension, that we would not submit to the requisites to qualify us to a.s.sist.

While I was attending the _Natche_ at Mooa, I ordered the horses, bull and cow, and goats, to be brought thither, thinking that they would be safer there, under the eyes of the chiefs, than at a place that would be, in a manner, deserted, the moment after our departure. Besides the above-mentioned animals, we left with our friends here, a young boar, and three young sows, of the English breed. They were exceedingly desirous of them, judging, no doubt, that they would greatly improve their own breed, which is rather small. Feenou also got from us two rabbits, a buck and a doe; and, before we sailed, we were told that young ones had been already produced. If the cattle succeed, of which I make no doubt, it will be a vast acquisition to these islands; and as Tongataboo is a fine level country, the horses cannot but be useful.

On the 10th, at eight o'clock in the morning, we weighed anchor, and, with a steady gale at S.E., turned through the channel, between the small isles called Makkahaa and Monooafai, it being much wider than the channel between the last-mentioned island and Pangimodoo. The flood set strong in our favour, till we were the length of the channel leading up to the _lagoon_, where the flood from the eastward meets that from the west. This, together with the indraught of the _lagoon_, and of the shoals before it, causeth strong ripplings and whirlpools. To add to these dangers, the depth of water in the channel exceeds the length of a cable; so that there is no anchorage, except close to the rocks, where we meet with forty and forty-five fathoms, over a bottom of dark sand.

But then, here, a ship would be exposed to the whirlpools. This frustrated the design which I had formed, of coming to an anchor as soon as we were through the narrows, and of making an excursion to see the funeral. I chose rather to lose that ceremony, than to leave the ships in a situation in which I did not think them safe. We continued to ply to windward, between the two tides, without either gaining or losing an inch, till near high water, when, by a favourable slant, we got into the eastern tide's influence. We expected, there, to find the ebb to run strong to the eastward in our favour, but it proved so inconsiderable, that, at any other time, it would not have been noticed. This informed us, that most of the water which flows into the _lagoon_, comes from the N.W., and returns the same way. About five in the afternoon, finding that we could not get to sea before it was dark, I came to an anchor, under the sh.o.r.e of Tongataboo, in forty-five fathoms water, and about two cables length from the reef, that runs along that side of the island. The Discovery dropped anchor under our stern; but before the anchor took hold, she drove off the bank, and did not recover it till after midnight.

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

We had no sooner anch.o.r.ed, than Taoofa, the chief, and several other natives, visited as on board, and seemed to rejoice much at our arrival.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Besides the plants common on the other neighbouring islands, we found, on the height, a species of _acrostic.u.m, melastoma_, and fern tree, with a few other ferns and plants not common lower down.

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

On returning from my country expedition, we were informed that a party of the natives had, in the circle where our people traded, struck one of their own countrymen with a club, which laid bare, or as others said, fractured his skull, and then broke his thigh with the same, when our men interposed. He had no signs of life when carried to a neighbouring house, but afterward recovered a little. On my asking the reason of so severe a treatment, we were informed, that he had been discovered in a situation rather indelicate, with a woman who was _taboo'd_. We, however, understood, that she was no otherwise _taboo'd_, than by belonging to another person, and rather superior in rank to her gallant.

From this circ.u.mstance we had an opportunity of observing how these people treat such infidelities. But the female sinner has, by far, the smaller share of punishment for her misdemeanor, as they told us that she would only receive a slight beating.

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

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

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

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

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

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

SECTION X.

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

Thus we took leave of the Friendly Islands and their inhabitants, after a stay of between two and three months, during which time, we lived together in the most cordial friendship. Some accidental differences, it is true, now and then happened, owing to their great propensity to thieving; but too often encouraged by the negligence of our own people.

But these differences were never attended with any fatal consequences, to prevent which, all my measures were directed; and I believe few on board our ships left our friends here without some regret. The time employed amongst them was not thrown away. We expended very little of our sea provisions, subsisting, in general, upon the produce of the islands, while we staid, and carrying away with us a quant.i.ty of refreshments sufficient to last till our arrival at another station, where we could depend upon a fresh supply. I was not sorry, besides, to have had an opportunity of bettering the condition of these good people, by leaving the useful animals before-mentioned among them; and, at the same time, those designed for Otaheite, received fresh strength in the pastures of Tongataboo. Upon the whole, therefore, the advantages we received by touching here were very great; and I had the additional satisfaction to reflect, that they were received, without r.e.t.a.r.ding one moment, the prosecution of the great object of our voyage; the season for proceeding to the north, being, as has been already observed, lost, before I took the resolution of bearing away for these islands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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