Chapter VII.

SPEAKS NANTUCKET SHIP—RETURNS TO FEEJEES—SHIPWRECKED AGAIN—PASSAGE FOR HOME ON SCHOONER—BACK IN NANTUCKET AFTER NINE YEARS' ABSENCE.

The ship was now ready for sea, and on the 24th of April, 1830, we got under way and steered out, but not being able to find a passage through the main reef before night, put back and anchored at the Island of Anganger. Here we experienced a severe gale, sent down topgallant yards and masts and housed the topmasts. We rode out the gale, which lasted 2 days, without any damage, then got under way and went to Myambooa. We sailed from here the 28th, got clear of the islands and shaped our course for Manila.

Nothing out of the common course occurred during the passage. We entered the strait of St. Bernardino on the 19th of June and arrived at Caveeta on the 25th. After receiving a visit from the health officer Capt. Archer, with a boat's crew, went to Manila. The next morning the boat returned. While lying here the schooner Antarctic of New York, Capt. Morell, arrived, having lost his mate and thirteen seamen, who were killed by the savages. On the 28th we received orders from the captain to come to Manila with the ship, and in the afternoon got under way, ran into Manila roads and came to among the shipping.

After selling the cargo, Capt. Archer concluded to fit out for another voyage to the islands. I was in hopes he would take a cargo for the United States, as I was quite tired of the beche de mer business and was anxious to get home, but in this I was disappointed. Capt. Archer offered to get me a passage to Canton in an American ship which was lying here, so I concluded to take my discharge and take passage to Canton. I accordingly settled with Capt. Archer and took my things on board the Canton ship. I stopped on board of her two days and was informed by her officers that I should probably have to stop in Canton two or three months before there would be an opportunity to go to America. This discouraged me from taking this method to get home, thinking it would about use up what little saving I had made. I then decided I would join the Glide again if I could get fair wages and continue in her till she went. I borrowed the ship's boat and went to Capt. Archer, told him my determination and offered to go with him for twenty dollars per month which, after some hesitation, he agreed to give me.

About the 20th of July, 1830, we sailed for the islands. After getting through the straits we hauled to the northward and crossed the North Pacific Ocean in about the latitude of 30 degrees. During our passage across here, which is called the coast of Japan, we saw a great number of whales and several whale ships. We spoke the ship Zenas Coffin, of Nantucket, Capt. Joy, and two New Bedford ships. We continued our passage for the Sandwich Islands, where we arrived and anchored at the island of Mowee on the 8th of October. Here there were several Nantucket ships and men, and it seemed almost like home to me for a while. Among them was a cousin of mine who could tell me much interesting news from home. The time passed very agreeably. We procured supplies and on the 15th sailed for the Feejees.

Nothing of consequence occurred during our passage until about the middle of November, when we made Perhhyns island, a low island situated in 9 degrees 01' South Latitude and 157 degrees 35' West Longitude. While running along the shore of this island we saw three or four canoes coming towards us. We backed the maintopsail and waited for them. When they got within a short distance of us they set up a terrible shouting and yelling, brandishing their clubs and making all manner of threatening gestures, while still more canoes could be seen coming, but we were well armed and manned and did not fear them. Seeing they were about to surround the ship, the captain ordered a musket fired over their heads as they were crossing the bow, but they paid no regard to it. They came alongside on both sides. We tried to entice them on board, but they would not come. Each one held his spear in his hand ready for use.

Finding there was nothing to be got from them we braced forward the main yard and soon left them astern. They continued following us for some time. Thinking they might come on board, we again backed the maintopsail and let them come alongside. They clambered out of their canoes into the main and mizzen chains still grasping their spears. Capt. Archer turned back-to to them and stooped to take something off the hencoop, when a fellow in the mizzen chains let fly his spear at his head. It grazed his neck hard enough to break the skin. A volley was immediately fired upon them on both sides, and some were run through with boarding pikes. They all jumped or fell overboard. We cut adrift their canoes from alongside, braced full, and left them to pick up their dead and wounded. Some of the crew were anxious to attack them, but Capt. Archer told them there had been too much blood shed already.

This island was nearly covered with coconut trees. The warriors were very dark colored. There were a few women with them who were much lighter colored and had remarkably smooth skins. They had nothing in their canoes except instruments of war consisting of spears, lances and clubs. Some of them had on necklaces made of hair very neatly braided and where the ends were fastened they had a finger nail secured on.

We continued our course for the Feejees, where we arrived the last of November and commenced business. We had a beche de mer house built on Cambo point, which was about twenty miles from where the ship lay and about three from Ambow village. There being a number of castaway sailors here, they were employed to assist me in curing the beche de mer.

We had not been here long before we had a very severe gale from the N. W. One night I spent in sleepless anxiety, knowing the ship lay much exposed to the wind and sea. I hardly thought it possible for her to ride out the gale. But I was relieved next day from my apprehension by David Whippey, who arrived from the ship. He told me she parted her chain and rode by the hemp cable till the gale was over, when that parted, being nearly chaffed off by the rocks. Having nothing left but a kedge and hawser she drifted in towards the island and came very near getting on the rocks but, getting a favorable flaw of wind from the land, they were enabled to clear the rocks and were then safe but without anchors. They sent to the Island of Somoson and bought the Brig Faun's anchors, for which they gave six muskets. Two boats were sent to me with articles of trade and information that the ship was going to the Island of Mathawater to carry on the beche de mer business and leave me to procure what I could in her absence. In looking over my trade I found there was not enough of some articles and, as the ship was about to leave, I went on board to get what I needed.

When I got on board I found everything in great confusion. The second mate had gone on shore in the morning to cut an anchor stock, when they were attacked by the natives and two men killed, the rest narrowly escaping to their boat. After getting to the boat the officer fired at the natives and killed one. Two boats were then fitted out from the ship well armed and landed, but the natives fled into the woods. The bodies of our two men were taken on board and afterwards decently buried on shore at the village of Labooca.

The captain informed me that the natives were getting to be very troublesome and had made two attempts to take the ship, but their design was discovered in time to prevent it. The first time they came off in canoes, about fifty of them. Some came on one side and some the other. The second mate chanced to look over the side and saw the chains full of clubs and other instruments and told the captain that they were about to attack the ship, when all hands were called to arms. As soon as the natives saw a muster on board they jumped into canoes and went on shore. A few days afterwards they came off again on pretention of selling mats, under which they had their arms concealed, but their scheme was discovered in time to be prepared for them.

Fortunately for us, I brought off a chief with me who wished to visit the ship. When I told him that we had two men killed by the natives of Ovalau he was very much frightened. I told him he need not be frightened, but he was a prisoner for the present. The captain told me to get everything we had on shore off to the ship. We went to Camber with two boats to take off our property. When we arrived we found the men that I left in care of the establishment much alarmed, fearing an attack from the natives. They had been under arms all night. The natives had been very insolent and troublesome during my absence. We immediately commenced loading our boats and five or six canoes which I hired for the purpose.

When the natives found their chief was detained they very readily assisted us to get everything to the boats and behaved very civilly, but I have no doubt if we had not had the chief on board they would have robbed and perhaps killed us all. But they well knew that their chief would have to suffer if they committed any depredations and they valued him more than all we had. We got our boats loaded and made the best of our way for the ship. We got alongside the ship towards night, and when we got everything on board we discharged the canoes and the chief, much to his satisfaction.

About the middle of January, 1831, we left the island of Ovalau for Ambooa, but finding the beche de mer very scarce at Ambooa we went to Angalore. Here we commenced curing the beche de mer. We had obtained about four hundred piculs, when our house caught fire and burned to the ground, consuming about a hundred piculs of the beche de mer. We soon got another house built, but the natives became troublesome, annoying us in every manner possible, both night and day, stealing everything they could get hold of and continually insulting some of our party in the grossest manner, which we dare not resent.

I bore it until it became past endurance and I began to fear that they had still worse intentions. I then went on board the ship and informed the captain of the conduct of the natives and my fears. He went on shore with me and was soon satisfied that it would be imprudent to stop longer and immediately made preparations for leaving. Next morning the boats were sent on shore, into which we put everything of value, set fire to our house, and went on board.

From here we went to Mathawater, where we continued our business till the 20th of March, when a hurricane commenced from E. N. E. We sent down our light spars, housed our topmasts, sent down lower yards and got everything as snug as possible, but about midnight our anchors began to drag and the foremast was cut away, which fell over the starboard side. Directly the mainmast went by the board, taking with it the head of the mizzenmast three or four feet below the top. The ship still continued to drag, but we could do nothing more but resignedly wait the result, being now wholly at the mercy of the wind and sea.

The wind soon shifted to N. W. and blew apparently with double fury. After drifting about seven miles she brought up on a sand spit near the shore. We had on board two chiefs who advised us to stop on board until it moderated and they would see us safe to Mathawater, but the natives began to swim off in considerable numbers, and the captain, fearing they would get to quarreling for plunder and endanger our lives, got his trunk and some few articles into a boat and with a crew went ashore, but were met on landing by a party of natives and plundered of everything.

I remained on board until noon, when our decks and indeed every part of our ship were filled with natives collecting such articles as best suited them. They took all the chests and filled them with their plunder. One chief got about 80 whales' teeth tied up in a blanket and attempted to swim on shore with them. He got a short distance from the ship when they became so heavy he had to let them go, and returned to the ship nearly exhausted in struggling to save his treasure.

All the ship's company being safely landed, save five or six of us, we took the small boat and such articles as we thought we could get off with and left the ship, landing abreast where she lay. We took our things and started for the village of Mathawater, but we had not gotten far from the boat before we were met by a party of natives who robbed us of everything we had and left us to continue our journey. After a very tedious travel of about seven miles we arrived at the village, sore-footed and heartsick enough—at least I was.

We found our beche de mer party at this village had lost their house during the gale and had given themselves up to the natives, who furnished them with another house, treated them with every kindness, and never took any of their property nor molested them in any way. We were also treated with the greatest kindness and furnished by the chief with everything to make us comfortable, but our number being so great we thought we were bearing rather hard upon his hospitality; so seven of us concluded to go to Ambow. We took our small boat and, after four days' passage, arrived at the island of Coroo. Here we learned from the natives that another vessel was cast away at Ambow, but we could not ascertain her name. In a few days we arrived at Ambow and found the wrecked vessel was the brig Niagara, from Salem. She was driven from her anchors in the gale of the 20th of March. The natives took out the cargo and left her lying on the flats.

After remaining a few weeks at Ambow we went with the natives to Raver to attend a great feast. At the feast they had one thousand hogs cooked and yams and tarrow in proportion. At the close of the grand feast they had a great dance as usual on such occasions. After about two weeks the rest of the crew returned. I preferred stopping here awhile. I lived with a young chief, brother to the king.

Here I remained until the arrival of the barque Perne, of Salem, Capt. Egleston, some time in October. I then went to Ambow, where I met the captain of the Perne at the king's house. I asked him for a passage; he said he did not think he could accommodate me as he already had several more than his complement. I said no more, but next morning I went on board the barque and asked him again for a berth. His answer was, "No, I won't." I turned short upon my heel, got into my canoe and shoved off, when Capt. Archer saw me, called me back and asked why I did not go in the vessel. I told him I had tried to get a berth but was refused and should have to wait for another opportunity. He told me to stop a moment and he would see the captain. After talking with Capt. Egleston he informed me I could go in the barque, so I stepped on board. The same day a schooner belonging to Oahu arrived here, having on board the remainder of the Glide's crew. I remained on board the Perne about three months, when the schooner Charles Dogget, Capt. Driver, of Salem, arrived. Five of us then left the Perne and went on board the schooner. After getting a full cargo of beche de mer among the islands I left her at Raver on the 3rd of April, 1832, when she sailed for Manila.

After remaining here about three months the Perne arrived. I had now made up my mind to leave the island at the first opportunity. The Perne was bound to the island of Rotumah. I thought if I went there I might get a chance on board of some whaler and be enabled to earn something before I went home. A man by the name of William Perkins, who lived with me at the young chief's at Raver, went on board the barque with me to engage passage to Rotumah.

The captain consented to take us, so we went on shore, took a time when the chief had gone on a visit to another village, picked up our things and went on board the Perne, much to the regret of the chief's mother, who wished us to stop until her son's return, but we told her we were only going a short cruise. We left in her care for her son a musket, a keg of powder and a few pounds of lead in hopes it would be some consolation for our leaving. After stopping here a few days trading for turtle shell, we got under way for the island of Somoson.

In passing Coroo we took on board a white man who left a Sydney whaling schooner. On our arrival at Somoson we found five white men who escaped from Wallis island at the time of the massacre. These men informed me that the natives at Wallis island had taken the ship Oldham, of London, and massacred all hands excepting a small boy, who was saved by an old woman who they believed had supernatural power and could inflict any punishment she thought proper if they disobeyed her. She took the boy and tabooed him and the natives dare not trouble him.

The particulars of the massacre above alluded to were as follows: A man by the name of Minina, of and from Oahu, went there in a schooner with a gang to procure beche de mer, tortoise shell, etc., which he sent to the Sandwich islands by the schooner. He took possession of a small island in the harbor, fortified it and called himself king, but for his arbitrary, oppressive and unjust conduct to the natives they rose and killed his whole crew with the exception of those men of whom I have spoken. The conduct of the captain and crew of the Oldham was as censurable as Minina's. They went on shore and took their women by force and carried them off to their ship, many of them wives, and by many acts of wanton levity and even cruelty the natives became so enraged that they took a time when two boats' crew were on shore, attacked those on board and on shore at the same time, and killed all excepting the boy.

After remaining a few days at Somoson collecting tortoise shell we took on board those Wallis island men and got under way with the intention of going to Wallis island and retake the Oldham. On our arrival there we sent in two boats well armed to reconnoitre. The boats were absent so long we became alarmed for their safety, and fired guns and sent up rockets to hasten their return, which had the desired effect. The reason for their long absence was because the distance from the ship to the shore was much greater than we had supposed. They found that an English man-of-war brig had been there and set fire to the ship and, after losing one man and killing many of the natives, they took the survivor (the boy) and carried him to Port Jackson.

The ship being destroyed and nothing left for us to do here, we proceeded to Rotumah, where we arrived the latter part of July, 1832. Here fourteen of us were discharged who were passengers from the Feejees. I remained here ten weeks, when the whaling schooner New Zealand, Capt. Rapsey, of Sidney, arrived. I went on board and applied for a berth with seven others of our party, but having a full crew and being scant of provisions, we were refused, but afterwards some of his men ran away and among them was his cooper, so I shipped as cooper to receive the same lay that the old cooper had.

We took wood and water and were about to leave when a large whale was seen from masthead, which we took, after getting one boat stove. The weather coming on rugged, we lost part of the head but saved 82 barrels from him. We beat up under the island and landed our stoven boat and the carpenter to repair her. When done, we sailed for the Kingsmill group of islands. Here we spoke ship Milo, Capt. West, of New Bedford, with 808 barrels of oil, and a Sidney barque with many of her crew sick with the scurvey and bound to Rotumah.

We saw a great number of whales around here but only took about 300 barrels. We used up some three months and put away for Rotumah, lacking about ten tons of a full cargo and expecting to get that in our passage. We proceeded to Rotumah, got a supply of wood, water and provisions and sailed for Sydney, where we arrived the last day of December. On our arrival the vessel and cargo was seized, but the crew was paid off for 65 tons, the amount reported.

I stopped in Sydney till the 18th of February, 1833, when I sailed in schooner Clementine belonging to the Isle of France, for New Castle, after coal. We took in at New Castle about 100 tons of coal and returned to Sydney, where we discharged on board of different ships about 60 tons. Then took in a cargo of cedar, barley and cheese, and on the 18th of March sailed for Hobart Town, where we arrived after about 10 days' passage. Here we discharged our cargo and took in a few bags of potatoes and about ten tons of stone ballast and on the 7th of April sailed again for Sydney where, after a very rough, boisterous passage, we arrived on the 23rd of the same month.

After our arrival I continued attached to the schooner for some time. At length the ship Tybee, of Salem, Capt. Mellet, arrived. I immediately went on board, found he wanted men, and engaged a berth. I then got my discharge from the schooner and joined the Tybee. We first took in a lot of hides, horns, hoops and bones. After filling the lower hold with these articles, we filled between decks with New Zealand flax and got ready for sea.

On the 9th of June, 1833, we got under way for the United States, after being searched by the search boat for runaway convicts. We steered out clear of the land, discharged the pilot and steered for New Zealand. On the 16th, fine moderate weather, we passed the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, and continued our course of Cape Horn, having strong winds and fair until near the longitude of the Cape. We then had much light easterly winds with plenty of snow. Went as far South as 63 degrees, where we saw large fields of ice extending to the horizon to the southward of us as far as we could see from masthead. I suffered very much from the cold, having been so long in a warm climate and my wardrobe now not the most abundant. But after a while we got by the Cape, made Staten Island and continued our course for Pernambuco. On our passage spoke an English sloop-of-war from Rio Janeiro for Valparaiso.

We arrived at Pernambuco the 22d of September, got some bread and other supplies, and left for America. We had fine winds and fair weather until in the neighborhood of Bermuda, where spoke schooner Baltimore, from Para. The weather was very squally, with heavy thunder. The schooner which was a short distance from us was struck by lightning, which shivered her mast, then passed down below the deck and went out through her foretopgallant mast, took a piece out of the head of her foreside about six inches above water.

We continued our course homeward. On the 26th of October, 1833, about midnight, we made Cape Cod light. At 9 a. m. took a pilot and about noon came to anchor in Salem harbor.

I got discharged and paid off and took the stage for Boston, where I found a Nantucket vessel in which I engaged a passage. After a few days I arrived at Nantucket, after an absence of nine years. I was received with much joy by my friends and relatives and I believe heartily welcomed by all the inhabitants.

THE END

[1]An article of luxury among the Chinese consisting of the dried bodies of Holothuria or sea-cucumber. They are found nearly buried in the coral sand, their feathered tentacula alone floating above it. Beche de mer is extremely gelatinous, and is much used by the Chinese as an ingredient in rich soups.

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