Chapter III
CARY LEARNS FACTS ABOUT "CHARLIE"—A BATTLE AMONG THE NATIVES—THE MURDER OF THE KING.
CARY LEARNS FACTS ABOUT "CHARLIE"—A BATTLE AMONG THE NATIVES—THE MURDER OF THE KING.
My joy at this unexpected meeting was unbounded. It was now about a year since I had seen a white man. David inquired how I came there and I briefly told him my story. He said he had seen casks and pieces of boats which he had called American, and concluded that a ship had been wrecked on some of the weather islands. In his turn he told me his story. He had left the brig Calder some thirteen months before, bearing presents from the captain to the king of Ambow, together with a request that he collect all the turtle shell he could, the captain promising to return in a few months and trade with him for it. But now the time was so long that he had given up all hope of seeing the brig again. In fact, he had no desire to leave the island, as he was a particular favorite with the king and chiefs and was a chief himself. He informed me that there were two other white men who lived with him; one came in the Manila brig, the other had lived at the Feejees ten or twelve years. The king of Ambow valued the white men highly, as they had previously been troubled very much by the mountaineers coming down and committing depredations on the sea-coast villages. They were very much afraid of the white men's muskets, however, and had not troubled them since they had been with them.
It being near night and David's chief being anxious to get to the island of Ovalau, about seven miles distant, he took leave of me, expecting to meet me again at Ambow. We then landed and hauled up our canoes as our king had received intelligence that the king of Ambow was not quite ready for us, having to repair some houses for our reception, which had been partially burned a short time before. The inhabitants of this island brought us provisions in abundance, of which we ate heartily and then retired for the night. We spent three days here, and on the fourth launched our canoes and made sail for Ambow, where we arrived about ten o'clock in the forenoon and anchored, when the natives painted themselves, dressed and tied large bundles of tappah on their backs, as presents for the king.
When all was prepared we cast off and headed for the landing. When within speaking distance the natives saluted each other by shouting "Dohoah". (This word is used only to kings and chiefs.) Directly the queens came down to welcome our queens and escort them to the house prepared for their reception. They were very tastefully ornamented with most beautiful and fragrant flowers, and formed a line at the water's edge, repeating the word "myinafuandooa", which is the salutation for the queens. We then landed and proceeded to the house prepared for us, the king and his chiefs taking with them the loads of presents which, after some ceremony, were presented to the king.
The next morning I met David Whippey again, who came to invite me to the island on which he lived (Ovalau). We passed the day and evening very agreeably at my king's house. The chiefs, hearing of my intended visit with David, desired me to return as soon as possible. They had become very much attached to me and desired to have me in sight always, yet their kindly feeling toward me would not let them refuse me any liberty I wanted. I had always made it a rule never to oppose them and thus had got their perfect good will. The natural disposition of these natives is good and they possess kind feelings for those whom they like; they also possess strong passions and when enraged are savage beyond description and would kill anyone who displeased them with as little compunction as civilized people would kill a rat.
David spent the night with me and the next morning we started for Ovalau. This island was very much like the rest of the group, mountainous, well wooded, with plenty of water. A considerable portion was under cultivation. It also abounded with beautiful flowers of the most exquisite fragrance and all kinds of tropical fruits grew in profusion. The natives seemed very friendly. Here I spent three days very pleasantly and then returned to Ambow to my king, who was delighted to think I had come back so soon, but when I told him that I was going to stop with the king of Ambow, he was exceedingly sorrowful and used every argument he could to induce me to return to him. I told him, however, that I was anxious to get home and I thought my chances here would be better than at his island. He still insisted that I had better go home with him, and so it proved, for there was a ship touched at his island shortly after his return. Though he had the power to force me to go with him, he would not compel me to return against my will, and when I bade him good-bye he took me by the hand and said: "William, I am very sorry you are going to leave me. I shall be very lonesome when I go home without you, but I shall always be your friend and you will know where to find me." So we parted.
I then went to the king of Ambow and told him I intended to stop with him, which pleased him very much. He said he was father to all white people who came to stop with him, and so long as I was under his protection no one would dare molest me. He told me "Charlie" stopped a great many years with him, was a great warrior and conquered all the islands. I inquired of some of the white men who Charlie was and found that he was a white man who was cast away in the brig Eliza, of Providence, on the island of Nivy, about fifty miles northeast of Ambow. The rest of the brig's crew were taken off, but Charlie preferred stopping among the natives and came to Ambow, bringing with him three or four muskets and all the ammunition he could procure. When he arrived at Ambow he was a great wonder to the natives, being the first white man they had ever seen. The women and children were very much afraid of him and thousands of the inhabitants came to view him.
He had not been here long before war was declared against one of the neighboring towns, and an army was raised to go against them. Charlie applied to the king for permission to go with them and use his muskets, and after much persuasion was allowed to do so. When the attack commenced Charlie singled out one of the enemy's chiefs and, as he raised his spear to dart, he levelled at him and shot him dead. The natives, hearing the report of the musket and seeing their chief fall, immediately fled in the greatest confusion, the Ambow people following and killing all who came within their reach. They plundered the town, set fire to it, and marched home in triumph without the loss of a man. The king then made him head chief, giving him command of the whole tribe, and he conquered the entire group, but he was very severe with the natives and would shoot them for the most trivial offenses. Charlie was finally killed in a battle at the town of Uylah.
I remained at Ambow six or seven months and during this time made several excursions with them against their enemies to different parts of the island and to other islands. The inhabitants of the mountains and the sea coast are most always at war with each other. The mountaineers are very wild and savage, and often attack an unprotected town and massacre or make prisoners of all the inhabitants. The prisoners they eat. On one of these excursions to the island of Coroo, in one day we took and burned seven villages. We had to march over rocky mountains and through almost impassable woods. I was excessively fatigued. At night we had sentinels stationed round our encampment and the natives were drumming and singing most of the night, so that I slept but very little.
At daylight we continued our march through dense woods, over rocks and hills, until we arrived before the town of Angarmy, which we were going to attack. This was a large place and had a strong fence around it. Our army was composed of about 4,000 warriors, of whom about 100 had muskets. Before we commenced the attack our army was drawn up in a circle, and the head chief entered the circle with a bunch of reeds about ten inches long. Immediately all was silent. He gave a piece of reed to each tribe, and at the same time addressed a few words of encouragement, telling them that the town must be taken and each man must fight well and do his duty.
After this, one of the chiefs of each tribe ran towards him, holding his club over his head, saying: "This is the club for the enemy". After this ceremony they divided into parties so as to attack several places at once. As soon as we drew near enough the enemy attacked us with arrows and showers of stones. We then opened fire with the muskets, which frightened them so that they made offers of peace, offering all their whales' teeth and the chief's daughter, but their offers were declined, and when they found we were going to storm the town they fled to the woods. We entered the town and killed forty of the inhabitants. One man climbed a coconut tree to secrete himself. He was soon discovered and fired upon, but they did not kill him. The tree was then cut down by order of the chief, and the poor fellow was soon dispatched.
We then marched down to our canoes, taking with us five or six female prisoners and some of the dead bodies for a cannibal feast after we got home. The next morning we set sail and proceeded to Ovalau, where we stopped for the night, and the following noon arrived at Ambow. Before landing, all the young chiefs who had killed some of the enemy for the first time painted themselves red and black and each one had a staff with as many strips of white cloth fastened to the end as he had killed enemies. They then landed and marched up to the priest's house, where all the old chiefs and priests had assembled. They presented their staffs to the priests, who stuck them up near the house to remain as long as they lasted. The dead bodies were also carried before the priest and songs of victory sung over them, after which they were divided among each tribe.
In accordance with their custom, the young warriors did not enter any house for several days and nights for fear of offending the spirits. They believed that if they did not observe this ceremony they would be killed in the next battle. At night they formed a circle, marching round and round, singing and shouting, taking it watch and watch half at a time. After three or four days they washed off their paint and were at liberty to do as they pleased, believing then they would be protected by their gods in all future wars.
A short time after this we were visited by a tribe of natives from Raver, who came in two large double canoes, loaded with tarrow as a present for the king. These natives were the finest looking and most intelligent appearing of any I had ever seen. I took a fancy to go to their island with them and make a visit, so I asked the chief to carry me and he readily consented. I then went to the king and told him of my intended visit. He gave me liberty to go, but requested me to be sure to return. The next morning we started and soon arrived there, it being only about seven or eight miles from Ambow. I found it a most delightful place situated on the banks of a fine large river. I was much pleased with the place and the people, and concluded to make it my home for a while, so I applied to a young chief (brother to the king) and told him I should like to stop with him. He seemed much pleased and told me to take the choice of his houses, of which he had three. I took one which was occupied by one of his wives (he had five) and lived here very comfortably, the chief's wife treating me with great kindness.
This chief had several brothers, all great warriors; the oldest was king, but the others wanted to be, so they got up a little conspiracy and declared war on him. He was too strong for them, however, so they made peace with him and went to Ambow. At this time all had been quiet for a year. One day, in company with a Manila man, I went down to a small island about three miles distant, fishing. We had rather indifferent luck and concluded to stop all night. Before morning news came to us that the king had been shot by one of his brothers who came from Ambow in a small canoe. It being a rainy, squally evening, he succeeded in reaching the town, unperceived, went to the king's house, pointed his musket through the doorway and shot him, wounding him so badly that he died in a short time. By the time the alarm could be given the assassin had fled beyond their reach. The Umbaty (priest) was called to save the king's life, but he was past his art and died sincerely lamented by his subjects.
The day after his death I attended his funeral. The chief was laid out on mats, with about one hundred fathoms of cloth wound around him. His face was painted black as though prepared for war, and his musket and war club lay by his side. His favorite wife sat at his head moaning most piteously and crying aloud, "Waloa nongu turang owsar cani lolocoo!" (Oh, my dear chief, I will soon follow you!) The rest of his wives, three more, came in and sat down beside the corpse and moaned bitterly—and well they might, for they were all to be strangled and buried with him. When all was ready, pieces of cloth were twisted up hard, a single turn taken around their necks, and a man took hold of each end. At a signal given by a chief (brother to one of the wives) these men hauled with all their might, and soon put an end to the troubles of the unfortunate women. They then kissed the hands and feet of the dead, carried them to the place appointed and interred them. The next day all the men and women shaved their heads, and the children had their little fingers cut off. This was done to show their sorrow and respect for the deceased. They believed that unless they did this the spirits of the dead would punish them by sending sickness and cutting off their crops.