WRECKED ON THE FEEJEES
Chapter I
THE DEPARTURE OF THE "OENO"—WRECKED ON TURTLE ISLAND—CREW TREATED KINDLY BY THE NATIVES.
THE DEPARTURE OF THE "OENO"—WRECKED ON TURTLE ISLAND—CREW TREATED KINDLY BY THE NATIVES.
The "Oeno" set sail at an early hour on the morning of November 4, 1824. The wind was light but fair and the weather pleasant. At 10 o'clock a. m. we discharged the pilot and got the ship snug for sea. As we neared the Gulf Stream the wind gradually increased, and on the afternoon of the 5th blew a gale from the northeast, accompanied by heavy squalls and rain. The ship was hove to under close-reefed maintopsail, and our green hands experienced for a season all the agonies of seasickness. The next day, however, the weather moderated and we made sail and proceeded with a fair wind.
We crossed the line on the 10th of December, and on the 16th sighted whales and captured three, which yielded 45 barrels of oil. On the 20th we sighted a large whale about half a mile ahead of the ship, and immediately lowered and fastened to him. He made 55 barrels. We proceeded on our course for the Cape of Good Hope, in doubling which we experienced considerable boisterous weather, and shaped our course for New Zealand. March 17th, 1825, we raised a school of whales and succeeded in taking four of them, which stowed down 50 barrels.
On the 20th we arrived at the Bay of Islands, where we found the ship Ann, of London, and bark Pocklington, of Sydney, N. S. W., the latter seven months out with 700 barrels of oil, and most of her crew sick with the scurvy. Nothing of note occurred here except that two of the crew, Henry Gordon and James Furse, deserted and we shipped two English sailors in their stead, and a native boy.
Having procured wood, water and vegetables, we set sail on the 7th of April in company with the ship Ann, bound home with 1800 barrels of oil. We intended to touch at Wallis' island, then proceed to the Kingsmill group to cruise for whales. We had strong trade winds, and on the 13th sighted and passed Pylstaat's island, one of the Friendly Islands. At sundown we shortened sail, by order of the captain who, on leaving the deck for the night, gave particular orders to the officers of the watches to have a good look-out kept and to call him immediately if anything unusual was seen.
In the middle watch (which was in charge of the second mate) between 2 and 3 o'clock a. m., the man at the helm saw white water and spoke to the second mate, who was sitting in the quarter boat, but he made no response. On seeing it again the man, who had at first supposed it to be a fish breaching, became satisfied that it was breakers, and sung out lustily to the officer, who sprang to the deck, but before a general alarm could be sounded, the ship struck on a coral reef. All hands were immediately called and the topsails clewed down. By this time the sea was making a clean breach over the vessel, and it was with the greatest difficulty that we could get about the decks, while nothing could be done to relieve the ship.
Mr. Drew, the second mate, immediately commenced clearing away his boat preparatory to leaving the vessel. The captain advised him to wait until daylight, but he persisted in leaving immediately and got clear of the ship with the boat's crew without accident, and pulled inside the reef into smooth water.
By the time daylight appeared every hope of saving the ship was abandoned. We got the starboard boat ready to lower and, watching a favorable opportunity, got clear of the vessel, narrowly escaping being swamped by a breaker which half filled the boat. We bailed her out and pulled into smooth water. Now two boats, with the captain, second mate and ten men, were safe, leaving the mate, William Shaw, and balance of the crew remaining on the ill-fated ship, which lay nearly upon her beam ends, with the sea continually breaking over her, and with only the weather boat in which to make their escape.
The boat was got ready, and the mate, stationing two men at the falls, picked the most favorable time and lowered down. The forward tackle was unhooked, and the boat's head swung around, but the after-tackle fall got foul and before it could be cleared, a huge breaker rolled the boat over, precipitating the crew into the water. At the same time the two men who had been stationed at the falls jumped overboard and all struck out towards the boats. We pulled up as near as prudent and rescued them all, though some were badly bruised, and one lad named Barzilla Swain had his arm broken by a cask before leaving the ship.
Though we were now all clear of the ship alive, it was with heavy hearts that we gazed back upon the wreck of what had so lately been our home. Land was in sight about three leagues off, and we headed towards it but soon found that a reef, forming a sort of hollow square about three miles long by two wide, enclosed us. We followed the reef around until we came to an opening through which we all safely passed. The water inside this reef was perfectly smooth and appeared deep.
Upon getting clear of the reef, we made the best of our way toward the land, and as we neared the shore, a man came down to the beach. We lay on our oars and held a brief consultation, but decided it was better to land and take our chances with the natives than to starve in our boats. Seeing us hesitating, the man beckoned to us in a friendly manner to row along the beach, which we did until we came opposite a landing. Seeing a number of natives sitting in the grass and apparently making hostile demonstrations, we again paused for consultation. The captain objected to landing at all and proposed that we make the best of our way to Wallis' island, where there was a chance of falling in with some homeward bound whaler. Mr. Shaw, however, urged that the natives showed no signs of hostility, that what we had taken to be clubs and spears were nothing more than sugar cane that they had brought down to treat us with when we landed, and he argued that we could remain here until the weather moderated sufficiently to get what we wanted out of the ship to fit our boats, and then go where we liked.
Seeing our hesitation, the natives sent one of the oldest of their party out in a small canoe. He paddled off until within a few feet of us but said nothing. We had the New Zealand boy in our boat and the captain told him to address the native in his language, which he did, but our visitor did not understand him and soon returned to the shore. Supposing he was sent off to invite us to land, we concluded to do so.
As soon as the boat touched the beach, Capt. Riddell jumped out, walked up to the natives, and offered them his hand, but they took no notice of the friendly greeting, and all rose and made for the boats. The captain told us to let them take whatever there was in the boats, which was not much, as he had everything thrown overboard that he thought would be valuable to them for fear they might quarrel for the plunder and endanger our lives. They assisted us to haul up our boats and gave us some of their provisions, which consisted of sugar cane, coconuts, and a sweet root called mussarway and was very pleasant to the taste. We offered them some of our bread, but they would not eat it.
Some of the women came down to the landing, looked at us, and returned to the town. Capt. Riddell took out his watch and placed it to the ear of a native, who started back with fright and astonishment. He then opened it and explained to them the use of it as well as he could by signs and finally presented it to one of the chiefs, who appeared to be highly pleased with it.
After their curiosity was satisfied, the chief said something to one of the natives, who started for the town, making signs for us to follow, which we did. After traveling nearly a mile over a rough stony path, we arrived at the town, which consisted of about twenty houses. Two of these we found nicely prepared with mats, one for the officers, the other for the crew.
It appeared that there had been at some previous time more people on the island, as there were two villages of about twenty houses each, but only one was now occupied. The houses were built by setting posts in the ground, leaving them about six feet high and connected with rafters about twenty feet long. The roofs were thickly thatched with long grass, while the sides and ends were covered with reeds neatly bound on with rivets made from coconut husks. We found there were only about twenty-five inhabitants then on the island—some fifteen men and boys, the rest females. The men were large and well formed, of a dark color, some almost black. Their only covering was a strip of matting made from the bark of a tree twisted and wound several times around their bodies. The women wore about their waist a similar covering stained with different colors.
When we took possession of our new quarters it was about one o'clock p. m. The natives left us soon after and returned in the course of a couple of hours with baskets of cooked vegetables consisting of yams, tarrow packarlolo (a sort of pudding made of tarrow and coconut milk) and a kind of potatoes. They laid the food down at the door and repeated some words over it, then brought it in and made signs for us to eat, while they stood by watching us with interest, but not being very partial to our new diet, we soon finished the meal.
Several of us then started on a stroll about the island with some of the natives in search of water, which we found only in the hollow rocks, there being no pond or spring on the island; hence we were wholly dependent on the clouds for water, but we found coconuts, bananas, and a few bread fruit trees, also excellent fish in abundance.
We found we were on Turtle island, one of the Feejees, two miles long by one and a half wide, and surrounded by coral reefs. The island was broken and rocky but fertile and thickly wooded.
After our return the natives came and spent the evening with us, sung a song or two and evidently employed all their arts and powers of pleasing to reconcile us to our condition, and in return only wanted their curiosity gratified by watching our movements and examining our clothes and other things which we had brought on shore. When the natives left us we laid down on the mats and slept at intervals until daylight, when we mustered all hands to go off to the ship for clothing, provisions, etc., but we found that some of the natives were ahead of us.
Capt. Riddell started first in hopes to get firearms, but found the natives had secured them, and had loaded their canoes with whatever suited their fancy. They brought their plunder on shore and buried it. Our boats, which did not return till late in the afternoon, brought some clothes, bread, salt provisions and liquor, but found only one chest on board. What the natives did with the others we never knew. They continued their visits to the ship every day, taking out whatever suited their fancy. They could get off with canoes when it was not prudent to go with our boats. Some of us would frequently accompany them and pick up whatever we thought might be useful to us.
On the 15th, it being moderate, we went off and secured the spare boat, which was still uninjured. By this time we had nearly all out of the ship which would be of use to us, and seldom visited her. She had turned completely round, and begun to break up.
The natives were friendly and endeavored, by every kindness in their power, to make our situation as pleasant and comfortable as possible, furnishing us of their provisions in abundance, with which, and our ship provisions, we lived well. The natives generally spent their evenings with us and seemed to enjoy our company very much. Thus ten or eleven days passed without anything occurring to affect our pleasant relations with them. Capt. Riddell thought that after the full of the moon we should have moderate winds, and then we calculated to start for the Friendly Islands in our boats, which we intended to put an extra streak on, to better fit them for a sea voyage.
But the morning we had intended to commence operations, we were much alarmed by seeing a fleet of about twenty canoes approaching the island, with warlike demonstrations. Capt. Riddell went down to the beach and met the party, who were a frightful looking set, being hideously painted with red and black, and all armed with spears and clubs. The chief and Capt. Riddell walked up ahead, the rest of the party, numbering about eighty, following in single file.
They were all large sized men, many of them fully six feet tall. They wandered about the town a while, getting a good meal which the islanders had cooked for them. One of the party, apparently a young chief, sat down beside me and began talking, but finding none of us could understand him, he left us, seemingly much disappointed. The visitors showed no signs of hostility nor disposition to meddle with anything, but contented themselves with looking at us, and finally retired to their canoes for the night.
The next day they came to our house and seemed so friendly that our alarm quite wore off. Before leaving for the night, however, they were particular to ascertain our number. The following day they came up to town as usual, but there was a marked difference in their conduct. They began taking many liberties, which they knew would be offensive to us, and one of them came into our house, took some articles of clothing and was about making off with them when one of our crew took them away and helped him out of the house. This treatment he did not at all relish. He took his club and beat the ground most furiously, and expressed his displeasure by every possible gesture. One of our boys had on a red cap, which a native seized and made off with. The boy cried bitterly for the loss, when the fellow returned and gave it back. It seemed as though they were trying all ways in their power to provoke us to do something which would justify them in declaring war upon us. They were continually stealing everything they could lay their hands on, which made repeated quarrels with the least consideration of the crew.
Capt. Riddell took every opportunity to advise us not to use force and let them take everything they wanted, and gave his advice for our own good as well as his own, as we were without arms and wholly at the mercy of the savages. Well would it have been for the crew had they heeded the advice of our worthy captain. The inhabitants of the island continued to treat us kindly. They at one time brought us some yams. While we were eating them one of the visitors put his hand in the dish to take out a piece, when one of our crew rapped his knuckles, telling him to keep his black paws out of the victuals. This so enraged him that he went out of the house, got his club and beat the ground, using many threatening gestures. It is my belief that if the captain's advice had been strictly followed, and we had let them take whatever they chose without resistance, they would have left without molesting us. But through the inconsiderate conduct of such no doubt the lives of many valuable men were sacrificed.
The next day we made an ineffectual attempt to get to the ship, and on our return to the town we met a number of the savages who were the most troublesome, swinging their clubs as though preparing for battle. In the house where we lived all the spears and clubs belonging to the islanders were deposited. These they contrived to carry off, as they thought, unperceived by us. I was sitting in the house alone reading and observed the manoeuvers, which excited my fears, and I told my companions that I believed they would attack us that night. Some of them shared my apprehensions, others only laughed at my fears. The officers were fully satisfied of their design, but could do nothing to avoid it. That night I decided not to remain in the house, but went into the woods and slept in a cave. The night passed, however, with no hostile demonstration.
The next day Capt. Riddell, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Drew, myself and two or three of the crew were assembled in a look-out house on top of a rock, when one of the islanders came in with a most sorrowful countenance, as though he had something dreadful to communicate, looked at us a few moments, and then left without saying a word. I have no doubt but he came to warn us of what was going to be done, but that his heart failed him. The previous morning one of the islanders brought to our house in the valley six or seven spears and threw them in. It appeared as though they wished to aid us all in their power.
Soon after this kind savage left us, we heard a great shout in the valley below. The captain started to his feet in alarm and hurried out of the house, the rest of us following him. When we got down off the rock all but myself took the path that led to the town. I took a by-path that led across the island, well knowing what was going on in the town. A Sandwich Island boy followed me a short distance, then turned back. When I started I left Capt. Riddell standing at the foot of the rock. Which way he went I never knew. We parted, never to meet again.