Chapter IV
CUSTOMS OF THE ISLANDERS—THE PLANTING SEASON—A TEMPLE ERECTED TO THE CALOO.
CUSTOMS OF THE ISLANDERS—THE PLANTING SEASON—A TEMPLE ERECTED TO THE CALOO.
While I resided at Raver we went three months without rain, and the earth became parched and hard as a brick. The inhabitants were exceedingly alarmed at the duration of the drought. Such a time was never known by the oldest people. They expected to lose their crop of tarrow, which is a vegetable that grows only in very wet ground. It is very nutritious, and the natives are exceedingly fond of it. In fact, for months it is their chief article of diet. The chiefs went to the Umbaty a number of times to get him to intercede with their Caloo (God) to send them rain, but the old fellow's power did not reach the clouds. They finally concluded that it must be on account of the massacre of the Oeno's crew that they were so afflicted. I told them I thought quite likely that it was to punish them for killing white men. They said a ship was cast away at one of the islands some years before, and the crew massacred, and that immediately after there was a great sickness among them. They believed that the white man's Caloo was superior to theirs.
One night while at this island we had a severe earthquake. It had been a most beautiful evening, and I had been amusing the chief with stories of my country. Just before bed-time we went into the house, got out some yams and fish to eat and had just got seated when we heard a loud rumbling noise. The chief jumped and ran out of the house and before I could imagine what was the matter, the food was going one way and I another. I started to crawl to the door, fearing the house would be down on me, for by this time I perceived what the matter was, but before I reached the door it was all over. The next morning I asked the natives what was the occasion of the earthquake. They told me there was a monstrous great spirit, who lived on the big island in a very deep cave, whom they called Bookeegodinga. He laid on his back with his knees drawn up, and his least motion shook the earth, and when he rolled over, which was very seldom, it made a great earthquake. None of them had ever seen this giant spirit, but some had seen his cave. They frequently made him presents of mats, tappah and oil, carrying them to the mouth of the cave and leaving the Umbaty to get him to accept them. I presume he knew what became of them.
Shortly after this we visited the island of Cantab. We started in a large double canoe with about a hundred souls on board, and arrived about noon. The natives here showed the greatest respect to our chief, all sitting down on his approach, and remaining seated until he had passed. It is considered by them very disrespectful to stand when a great chief or king passes, or to talk loud on indifferent subjects in his presence, and it is sometimes punished with death. For such misdemeanor the offender must take an arrow or spear in his hand, and approaching the chief in the most humble manner, beg his pardon, and when the latter is satisfied that sufficient penitence has been shown, he grants his forgiveness. Sometimes for very great crimes, in addition to the above ceremony they are required to make liberal presents of whales' teeth. This is in cases of murder or for enticing away another man's wife, which is always visited with the heaviest punishment.
This island had formerly been under its own government. The natives were great warriors, and had never been conquered until the people at Raver got muskets and subjected them, making them tributary to Raver. The Raver natives considered them very valuable subjects. I heard there was a white man residing on the other side of the island and asked my chief for permission to visit him, but he refused saying it was an enemy's town and the Raver people dared not go there. The fact was, however, that he was afraid I should not come back. While here we were supplied by the natives with provisions in the greatest abundance. We remained a few days collecting tribute, and returned home deeply laden with tappah, mats and coconut oil, which was divided among the chiefs according to their rank.
The dialect of these people differed from any I had ever visited, but their manners and customs were the same. Cantab is a small but high island, about ten miles long by four wide. On the western end there is a mountain shaped like a sugar loaf, at the foot of which there are two springs, one hot or very warm, and the other nearly as cold as ice. I bathed in the warm one, and could but just endure the heat. Many of the natives had never beheld a white man before and eyed me with great curiosity, but I was not much troubled with the children, as they were very much afraid of me and if I looked toward them they would scamper off like sheep.
When at Raver, I used to employ myself fishing, shooting and doing little mechanical jobs for the chief. I used to have very fine shooting, there being vast numbers of ducks round the river. The natives were very expert at shooting them with arrows. One day I was in the house casting a lead pipe for the chief, when suddenly he called out "awanker parpalong sarla comy"! (The white man's vessel has come!) I inquired where and how he knew. I learned that a canoe was off near her and started to go on board, but seeing a smoke they were afraid she was going to fire guns, and dared not go, but immediately came ashore and reported. The chief ordered his canoe and we started down the river. When we got to the mouth of the river we found the ship lay about three miles from the reef, with the maintopsail aback, but the water was so shoal that we grounded on the reef, and before we could get over she braced full and stood off. My heart ached to see her go. This was the first ship I had seen for over two years. We returned to the shore and built large fires in hopes she would continue round the island till morning, but when day broke we could see nothing of her. The chief thought she had gone to the island of Cantab and some of our party proposed going there if I would accompany them, which I readily consented to do. We accordingly started in a small canoe, but when we got to the passage through the reef, we found the sea too rough to venture out, so we ran down inside the reef four or five miles to a small village where we procured a large canoe and crossed over to the island of Banger, about five miles distant. By this time it was near night with a strong wind and rough sea, so we concluded to stop there for the night. We secured our canoe and started for the village, which was at the summit of the highest mountain and about three miles from the shore. After a tedious walk over rocky hills and through thickly-wooded valleys we arrived at the village, reported to the chief and were assigned a house calculated for the accommodation of visitors, with which every village is provided.
Through the night the inhabitants were employed cooking pigs and vegetables, which were presented to us with the usual ceremony. The morning brought a severe storm of wind, rain, thunder and lightning. All we could do was to make ourselves comfortable. In the course of the day our chief sent for an old Umbaty who was celebrated for his knowledge of the future, and told him he wanted to know if there was a ship at Cantab or any of the neighboring islands, also when the storm would subside so that we could continue our voyage. The old man sat motionless for a few moments, then got up and left us. Directly he returned bearing in his hands a few green leaves. He sat down in the middle of the house, and rubbed the leaves until the juice began to run. He then held his hand with the juicy leaves straight up over his head and said: "If this juice runs down to my shoulder without dropping off she is there, but if not, she has gone some other cruise." He then squeezed the leaves and the juice ran down to his elbow and dropped off. "Ah!" he said, "she is not there." Other questions he answered the same way.
This island is much like the others, high and well wooded, and very fertile. The inhabitants were not so numerous as on other islands of the same size, owing no doubt to their continual wars. Our chief told me that till within a few years the natives here were very savage and if a canoe landed for shelter in a storm or in distress they would kill all hands and have a cannibal feast.
At sunset it cleared off and we proceeded on our voyage, arriving at Cantab the next morning, but could learn nothing of the ship. We then proceeded to Tarbuca where we concluded to make a stop. While here the chief requested us to assist him to capture a village, the people of which were very troublesome to him. We consented, mustered our forces and started one morning, but found the enemy prepared for us. We had two muskets. I had one and a chief another. We gave the war whoop, and advanced to the attack, firing our muskets and wounding two, whereupon they all fled, taking with them their wounded companions. Some of our men followed them and killed one chief, who they slung on a pole and brought back. They took the dead body to the square and sang songs of victory over it, then carried it away and had a cannibal feast. The following night one of the Tarbuca men went to this village and offered to join them. They readily accepted him. After telling them some fine stories he induced one of them to accompany him on the pretense of securing some plunder. He got him near the town, knocked him on the head, shouldered him and brought him into the town. For this act he was well rewarded by the chief. We started for Raver with our canoe loaded with presents given us for assisting in conquering the village, and arrived the same day, having been absent about a fortnight.
Some time after this I obtained permission to visit Ambow. My chief furnished me with a canoe and two men. We started in the morning and reached Ambow in the afternoon. I went direct to the king, who was delighted to see me and treated me to the best he had. He asked me if I had come back to stop with him, but I told him I should return the next morning, having only come to see him and inquire after his health. He seemed very much flattered that I should have manifested so much interest in him. I also went round and visited the chiefs of my acquaintance, who were exceedingly glad to see me, but all regretted that my visit was to be so short. The next morning we returned to Raver.
A short time after our return we were visited by a party from the big island called by the natives Vechalaboo, bringing with them presents of tappah and salt for the king of Raver. These presents were brought up to the public square, which is used for all grand occasions, and distributed with the usual ceremony. After this our chiefs had a dance by themselves. They formed in a straight line with the head chief in the center and the singers behind. When the singing began (one singing a line or sentence alone, then all repeating) the chiefs kept time with their hands and feet with great regularity. They had no music but singing, though when they went through the spear exercise, they made a kind of drum by resting the ends of a stick of timber some five feet long on blocks, and beating on the middle with sticks about the size of drum sticks.
I always had the privilege, at the time of receiving presents, of selecting whatever I chose, and generally availed myself of it. Sometimes when the natives thought I was helping myself rather too freely they would call out that a certain subject was tabooed, but I would tell them it wasn't tabooed for me to take what I liked. Salt was a scarce article among them and much valued. It was made in artificial ponds by the heat of the sun, and they brought all they had for market to Raver. The king of Raver had married the big island chief's daughter. From Raver the salt was carried to Ambow, and exchanged for tappah, oil, mats, etc., and from there it would get distributed over most of the islands. It was manufactured in large cakes—some of them as large as two men could carry on a pole. When our visitors departed their canoes were loaded with presents from our people consisting of mats, tappah, and oil scented with sandal wood and flowers.
This large island is separated from Raver by a channel only about a mile wide. It was thickly settled and its inhabitants were continually at war with each other. Indeed the principal occupation of the men, when not on the war path, was the manufacture of clubs, spears, bows and arrows, and other implements of war. Their dialect was so different from ours at Raver that I could understand very little they said. (As the reader may surmise, I had by this time quite mastered the language of the natives with whom I had resided.)
There were great numbers of green and hawk's bill turtles around the shores and an abundance of fish which they caught with their nets. They would spread their net in the form of a half moon outside the fish or turtles, secure it by sticking down poles, then drive the game towards it by splashing the water. When these islanders were preparing for a fishing cruise they were highly offended to be spoken to, and when addressed refused to answer, and if anyone stepped on their nets or fishing gear, they would postpone their cruise till another day. They believed that if they conversed with anyone at such times they would be eaten by sharks, or some other dire calamity would befall them.
It now being the planting season I went with the king one day to witness their operations. At planting time it is customary for the neighboring towns to join and assist each other. We went over the river to a town on the opposite bank, where we found all hands employed in breaking up soil and preparing it for the seed. This was done with a kind of shovel made from a large pearl shell with a handle or pole fixed to it. They dug up the earth and hove it up in heaps about four feet apart, each heap being calculated for a hill of yams. The king told me to select a piece of ground for myself, and he would have it dug, which I did. After the ground was thus prepared they returned to Raver and had a feast.
The next day the women went out and planted the yams. These were planted about the same as we plant potatoes. The large ones were cut into several pieces and the small ones planted whole. They put one or more in each of the heaps of earth, covered them lightly with soil, and then put a handful of white sand on each, that they might know when it was all done. At every planting season they plant a piece of ground for the Caloo (God). This is done principally by the chiefs, the women not being allowed to plant this for fear the Caloo will be offended and destroy their crops. The ground for the Caloo is dug up with an ironwood stake and made up in heaps about four feet high with their hands. They plant a hill on each heap and set a white flag on a pole at each hill, thinking that this will insure them a good crop. Tarrow keeps continually growing. They pull up a root and cut it off, then stick the top down and a new root grows. After the yams sprout they stick a reed in each hill for the vine to run up on. After this they are left to the care of the women, who keep them clear from weeds with a hoe made from a pearl shell.
The chiefs at Raver frequently employ themselves in making baskets, which they weave very neatly and handsomely from a kind of grass which they cure and dye various colors. These baskets are traded off to the other islands.
The most of the chiefs had muskets and many of them were excellent shots, but the common people seldom used one. It was very rare for them to have property enough to buy one and if they did, and the head chiefs or king took a fancy to it, they would take it away from them. They sometimes would want to fire my musket, and I generally let them, always putting in a heavy charge. They would hold the gun at arm's length, and when they fired she would jump out of their hands. This puzzled them very much. They could not understand why she did not jump when I fired her. I used to frequently accompany the king on his gunning excursions. He was an excellent shot, and prided himself very much on his skill, and was always highly elated when he beat me.
The island of Raver is about five or six miles long and only about two miles across in its widest part. It had five or six different villages, some of them small. The one where the king resided was much the largest, containing upwards of a hundred houses. Those occupied by the common people were very small, but those belonging to the king and chiefs were much larger. The one occupied by the king was about forty feet by thirty wide. At each end he had a temporary floor across from the eaves forming a loft. These lofts he used to deposit his treasure in. One end, where he slept, was raised from the ground with dry grass covered with mats and a curtain drawn across to keep out the mosquitoes, which were exceedingly troublesome.
While I was here the king built a house for their Caloo Laboo (Great Spirit). This was perfectly round. The center of the roof went up to a very high peak, which was supported by a post in the ground. Across this peak a spar was fastened, which projected eight feet beyond the house, and was covered with small white shells, and a string of the same ten feet long was suspended from each end of the spar. This was built as an offering to the Great Spirit, who had given them power over their enemies, and was placed in charge of the Umbaty, who was supposed to frequently see and converse with the great Caloo.
They generally cook in the house, having the fire-place in the middle of the building. They used earthen vessels to cook in, made in the form of a jar. At one of the villages on this island they manufactured this kind of ware and their water jars were very handsomely glazed with the gum of a tree. This labor is all performed by the women. They bake it in a kiln. This ware forms an article of traffic for which they get tappah and oil from the other islands.
One morning the king sent a messenger to the king of Ambow. In the afternoon he returned with a letter to me from David Whippey, informing me that there had been a ship seen by the natives and that some of them had been on board and conversed with the captain, who could talk with them enough to inform them that he was going to Myambooa after sandalwood. He (David) wished me to come to his town and go with him in pursuit of the ship. I informed the king of the contents of my letter and promised him that if he would let me have a canoe and two men to go to Ambow and from there get to the ship, I would procure him a musket and some powder. He was much pleased and promised that he would have the canoe and men ready in the morning. I spent a sleepless night. The thought of once more getting on board a ship drove sleep entirely from my eyes.