Part 2
On the 10th of December we got underweigh and ran in towards the shore near to our fish houses and proceeded to finish rigging the ship and repairing damages. After three or four days, finding it difficult to proceed from our unacquaintance with their language, we shipped an interpreter[19] from the brig _Quill_, also a number of seamen who were acquainted with the method of curing the fish. We also purchased the kettle of Capt. Kinsman (ours being too small to make any progress) and proceeded to purchase the fish of the natives again.
On the 21st the brig _Quill_ sailed for Manilla, having on board about 800 piculs[20] of beche-le-mer, tortoise shell, etc. She returned on the 23rd, in consequence of a head-wind, but sailed again on the first of January.
Jan. 11th, 1830, Seth Richardson died on board the ship. He belonged to Salem and had been complaining nearly all the voyage.
We continued curing beche-le-mer on shore, while those on board were putting the ship in order and nothing particular occurred until the 30th of January when the natives on shore maliciously set fire to our houses and destroyed 60 piculs of beche-le-mer, trade, clothes, etc., and the men with difficulty got on board the ship, at midnight. The next morning we discovered they had broken our kettles for the purpose of getting the wrought iron. We found their principal object in setting fire to our houses was plunder and we immediately sent for the King[21] or principal Chief of the Bay. He came on board and informed us that our houses, being built by an inferior Chief, were more liable to be troubled by the natives. He advised us to use the houses that were employed by the brig _Quill_, as he built them himself, and he being the King of the Island and Bay, the natives would not dare to trouble them. On the 2nd of February we commenced curing fish in the houses of the King, the blacksmith having mended the kettles.
On the 10th, as the beche-le-mer began to grow scarce on the reefs, it was determined on the advice of the King to go to another bay, about 40 miles distant and build new houses and employ the natives in that place. On February 19th, the launch, in charge of the 1st officer, was sent round to the Bay with 10 men to prepare for curing the fish and two days later, having taken on board all the things from the shore, we got underweigh and stood out of the Bay of Miamboo.
On the 23rd, we arrived safe in the bay called Aloa by the natives, and found the King with his men had completed the houses and were all prepared to prosecute the business of purchasing and curing the beche-le-mer. Here we continued to cure fish without any interruption till March 23rd, when the interpreter was dispatched about 90 miles to a place call’d Baratta to purchase hogs, with the Chief of that place.
We found on April 9th that we had upwards of 1000 piculs beche-le-mer, 350 pounds tortoise shell and some sandalwood, so we settled with the natives and burnt our houses[22] and put the ship in readiness to go to sea. Four days later the interpreter arrived, bringing 90 hogs, and informed us that the ship _Clay_,[23] Capt. Millet, of Salem, was at Bow and had brought letters from our friends which the interpreter delivered to us.
On April 15th, 1830, we got underweigh and stood out of the bay of Aloa bound to Manilla. After passing through the inner reef and thinking ourselves safe at sea, we observed a very large coral reef with no passage through it and it being near night and the weather unfavourable, we immediately tacked and endeavoured to gain the harbour we had left; but finding it impossible, anchored outside, near a small island[24] with coral reefs and breakers all around us. The wind increased through the night to a violent gale obliging us to get our topmast down and pay out all on both cables. It continued to blow very hard for four days, the ship being in a very dangerous situation with a large coral reef only two cables length astern. Fortunately, on the 20th, it moderated and we got our masts on end and got underweigh and on the 22nd arrived safe in Miamboo Bay where we lay till the 25th waiting for a favourable wind to go to sea.
On the 25th of April, 1830, we again got underweigh and succeeded in passing out through the passages to sea and steered direct for Manilla. We had a tolerable passage and in fifty days saw the island of Samar at the entrance of the Strait of St. Bernadina and passing it proceeded through the Strait and on the 22nd June anchored in the Bay of Manilla, off Caviter, about nine miles from the city. We found here one American ship and a number of English[25] and Spanish vessels. Got underweigh on June 27th and ran up to the city with the ship for the purpose of discharging our cargo, which was sold to Chinese merchants as the beche-le-mer forms an article of food and is eaten by the principal Chinese.
[Illustration: SHIP ANN ALEXANDER OF NEW BEDFORD
From a water-color in the possession of the Old Dartmouth Historical Society, New Bedford.]
After having discharged the cargo and taken in a sufficient quantity of ballast, we shipp’d 8 Manilla sailors and put the ship in order for another voyage to the Fegees, taking on board some stores, and on the 17th of July we got underweigh and stood out of the Bay, intending to touch at the Sandwich Islands for the purpose of procuring water and fresh stock. On the 22nd, having passed through the Strait of St. Bernadino, we steered to the eastward and soon lost sight of the land. We had a tedious passage (though the weather was mild and pleasant) owing to the light winds which prevailed for most of the time. On the 16th of August we saw the Caroline Islands and on the 18th the Ladrone Isles. [On the 1st of Sept. spoke the ship “Zeneas Coffin,”[26] Capt. Joy of Nantucket on a cruise. On the 4th saw a number of whales and other smaller fish. On the 22nd was boarded by a boat from the whale-ship “Ann Alexander”[27] of New Bedford, Capt. Howland, on a cruise. On the 3rd of Oct. spoke ship “Hector,”[28] Capt. Morse, of New Bedford, cruising for whales.--_From Log Book._] After a passage of 84 days arrived at the Sandwich Islands, and on the 9th of Oct. anchored in Mowee Roads.[29] Found in this place one whale-ship[30] and a number of small schooners.
We immediately commenced getting our water and purchasing goats and vegetables for the use of the ship’s company. Many of the natives came on board and appeared very civil. The American Mission appeared to be in a very flourishing condition. A new church[31] nearly finished we observed and the missionaries appeared to have succeeded very well in reforming and civilizing the natives. We found this a most excellent place for watering and for procuring vegetables and fresh stock, etc., which we purchased very, very cheap for iron tools, etc.
On the 15th of October after having taken a sufficient supply of water, stock, etc., we sailed, steering to the southward, bound to the Fegees. We experienced fine weather and a regular trade wind and on the 6th of Novr. saw an island supposed to be Penrhyn’s Island,[32] which the Captain intended to touch at for the purpose of procuring some grass for our live stock if possible. At 5 P. M. we were near to the shore when the natives came off in great numbers and appeared perfectly savage and fierce, hallowing and shaking their spears.
The Captain had given orders for every man on board to arm himself and prepare to resist them should they attempt to attack us. We endeavoured to trade with them and had succeeded in purchasing some cocoanuts when the Captain, in endeavouring to persuade one of the natives to come on board, another native fired his spear at the Captain and slightly wounded him in the neck. He immediately gave orders to fire at them which was accordingly done and 7 or 8 of the natives were killed. We immediately fill’d our sails and stood on our course leaving the natives to bewail the visit of civilized people to their uncivilized shores.
Passed the Tonga Islands on Novr. 16th and on the 18th saw Turtle Island, the southernmost of the Fegee Group. We passed through the passages between the island and on the 24th of Nov. anchored off Ovalou,[33] an island about 25 miles from Bow, the principal town of the Fegee Islands, where the King of the whole group resides. Here the 1st Officer and interpreter left the ship for Bow to have an interview with the King [Tanoa] and on the 26th he came on board in a very large double canoe with some of his principal warriors and two of his wives. The Captain purchased some tortoise shell of him and contracted with him for 2 large houses on an island a short distance from Bow where, on the 1st Dec., we commenced curing beche-le-mer. The interpreter and the Manilla men were employed on shore with a number of English sailors which we hired for the purpose, but finding the beche-le-mer very scarce and the natives not well disposed towards us it was determined to remove from this place and endeavour to find some better place for procuring a second cargo.
Before we could get away a violent gale came on from the northward, on the 16th of Dec. and as our ship lay in an open roadstead, her situation became dangerous and beginning to drift and the reefs but a short distance astern, we let go both of our lower anchors and got our top-gall-masts down. The gale increased to such violence that our chain cable soon parted and the stream,[34] being the only anchor we had left on board, was immediately let go. That in a short time parted also and the ship drifted within a cable length of the breakers, the sea running very high at the time. Our sheet cable still held on and the gale moderating considerable we rode out the gale until the next morning when the cable parted and we drove on to the reef before sail could be made on the ship. Fortunately for us the wind shifting suddenly and blowing off shore we were able to clear the rocks without doing the ship any injury.
We made all sail and after passing out to sea through the reefs we steered over towards the island of Somer-Some,[35] intending to purchase of the natives the cables and anchors of the brig _Fawn_[36] lately shipwrecked there, as we were wholly destitute of cables or anchors and it would be impossible to prosecute the voyage without a new supply.
Arriving at Somer-Some, on the 19th Dec. we succeeded in procuring 3 anchors and 2 chain cables which formerly belonged to the brig _Fawn_ and also some rigging, and proceeded towards the island of Ovalou again to procure our anchors if possible and get our things from the shore.
On the 25th we anchored in the same place where we lost the anchors, but found it impossible to regain them so the boat was sent on shore to procure stocks for the anchors we had on board. The next day, while the carpenter was employed in cutting the anchor stocks and the men were guarding him from the natives, whom we were suspicious of from their appearance, they rushed down from the mountains and attacked our men who immediately fled to the boat and succeeded in reaching it, excepting two men belonging to Salem, Edmund Knight[37] and Joshua B. Derby, whom the natives killed with their clubs, the latter having previously shot the Chief of the tribe. They took the muskets and stripped the dead bodies of our unfortunate men, those in the boat not being able to prevent them. Hearing the tumult in the ship, another boat was dispatched, armed completely, and succeeded in getting the bodies which we buried on shore. We soon learned the natives intended to attack the ship and immediately got our things on board and prepared the ship for sea. We got underweigh on the 29th Dec. and stood out through the reefs to sea and steered towards Miamboo Bay, where we anchored on the 31st and the 1st and 3rd officers landed for the purpose of passing over the mountains to Aloa Bay, to contract with the King (our friend of the former voyage) while the ship proceeded round to the Bay.
[Illustration: FIJIAN WAR CLUBS
1. Collected by Capt. Benjamin Vanderford in 1823
2, 3, 4. Collected by Capt. Charles Millett in 1832
5. Collected by Capt. William H. Brown in 1834
Now in the Peabody Museum of Salem]
On the 1st Jan., 1831, the ship arrived in Aloa Bay and anchored near the place where our houses were building, the officers having contracted with the Chief. On the 13th, the house being completed, we commenced curing beche-le-mer. The 1st officer, interpreter and ten men stayed on shore and the rest of the ship’s company commenced repairing the rigging which was found to be in a very bad condition. The head of our main-mast was rotted nearly off and after much trouble and delay a tree was found of sufficient size for a fish,[38] which was purchased of the natives. On the 27th we completed our mast and having refitted the rigging as well as circumstances would permit we prepared to receive our cargo, hoping to be able to prosecute our voyage without more delay which from a succession of misfortunes and accidents had been long protracted and was rendered extremely tedious and thus far unprofitable.
But we found our troubles were far from being at an end for on the 29th we found our principal house on fire which was burnt together with 100 piculs of beche-le-mer, some trade, etc. Another delay was unavoidable, but with the assistance of the King and other Chiefs, another house was soon completed and on the 4th of February we commenced fishing again.
We continued to cure beche-le-mer until the 13th with but little success, when the natives attempted to burn our houses again and appeared disposed to attack the men on shore if an opportunity offered. The Chiefs also seemed disposed to countenance their tribes in their designs. We immediately manned and armed the boats and sent them on shore for the protection of our property and the men. In the morning, a slight attack was made by the natives on our people, but they were defeated without any loss on our side. As we killed a number of them and they perceived the superiority of our muskets over their weapons, they retreated into the woods. We got our things on board without any molestation from the natives and immediately put the ship in readiness for sea.
Finding it impossible to procure a cargo in this place we burnt the houses and got underweigh and stood out of the bay intending to proceed to Mutt-Water,[39] a town and bay on the north end of the island, where we arrived on the 17th and anchored near the shore about a musket-shot distance from the principal chief’s town. We immediately had an interview with the Chief and agreed with him to furnish houses for the purpose of curing beche-le-mer, the Chiefs agreeing to furnish canoes and men to man them, the 2nd Chief of the place, who was much loved and respected by the natives, agreeing to stay on board the ship, as a hostage for our men and property on shore. By the 21st of February the house was completed and we commenced purchasing and curing beche-le-mer.
We continued curing the fish and nothing particular occurred until the 22nd March, 1831, by which time we had procured about 500 piculs of beche-le-mer and 300 pounds of tortoise shell. An accident then befell us which not only ruined our voyage but by which we lost all our property and were cast on the mercy of savages whose fierceness and ferocity are not equalled on the South Seas.
Our ship lay in a channel between a small island and the north end of the island of Tackanova[40] on which was the town and our beche-le-mer establishment at a short distance from the ship. The 1st officer, three of the crew, the Manilla men and several English sailors, whom we employed, were on shore curing beche-le-mer, when an _excessive hard gale_ came on from E. S. E. about 8 P. M. on the 21st. At ten, all hands were call’d and the sheet anchor let go, but as the other cable was payed all out it could bring no strain until the ship began to drift. It continuing to blow very hard and every appearance of a hard gale coming, we proceeded to get our yards and masts down and at 3 P. M. having got the top-gall-masts and main-top-masts down we found the ship drifting and immediately let go the small chain-anchors, one of which was back’d with the ship’s kedge, and payed out a long scope on all the cables. We also got down the fore-top-masts and lower yards. At 9.30, the wind increasing and the ship having drifted so far as to be exposed to the sea, which had now become very high and confused, we payed out the bitter end[41] of all the cables.
At 10 A. M. we perceived by the land, which could only be seen at intervals, that the ship had drifted 7 or 8 miles along the coast and was in a most dangerous situation, the current setting against us and the wind having increased to a hurricane, the sea running very high. Breakers were all round us and there seemed but little chance to save the ship, so we cut away the lower masts and with them went almost every moveable thing from the deck. The breakers were soon seen astern and at about 11 A. M. the ship struck on the shore reef, having drifted 10 miles from her anchorage. The sea soon drove her upon the reef where she bilged and fell over on her side, heeling in towards the land and protecting us from the sea which beat against her with great violence.
We were fortunate in having a chief[42] on board of considerable influence with the natives, who advised us to land if possible and proceed to the town, as the mountaineers would come on board for plunder and would not scruple to take our lives which he could not possibly prevent. Accordingly the ship was delivered to the chief and we proceeded to clear away the boats. Our launch went adrift and was lost in the beginning of the gale and when we lowered a quarter boat it immediately went to pieces. In the two left, we, after much difficulty and danger, succeeded in reaching the shore in safety with no property but our clothes.
We soon met with a party of mountaineers, exceedingly fierce, who robbed us of our clothes, hardly leaving each one with a single garment, it not being in our power to prevent them, and leaving us exposed naked to the storm, without any shelter and perfectly ignorant of the road to the King’s town,[43] nor would any one of them be prevailed upon to show us the way. The savages soon left us and we proceeded on our way towards the town but from our ignorance of the right paths and the fury of the storm, our travelling was rendered exceedingly difficult and tiresome. The next morning, however, we found ourselves all safe in the King’s town. The King[44] and all the principal inhabitants had gone aboard the ship and the five that remained gave us the largest house where, without provisions of any kind and knowing our fate would not be determined until the arrival of the King and his men, we were forced to wait in a painful suspense two days.
After the gale had abated, the King came up from the ship, having plundered her of everything except the salt provisions and bread, and after a consultation with his priests and warriors, he proclaimed that our lives should be spared, that houses should be prepared for us and that we might be permitted to secure what provisions from the ship we could. After hearing this law passed by the King and feeling confident it would be violated on no account, without his orders, our minds were greatly relieved and our spirits, which had been greatly depressed with our misfortunes, rose high with the hope of once more seeing our native country and leaving these savage shores where we had experienced, from the time we first arrived among them, so much trouble and so many misfortunes.
The King having lent us one of his large canoes, with which and our small boat (the only one sav’d from the wreck) we proceeded down to the ship for provisions. We found the natives greatly excited with their prize. The chief, however (who was on board when we struck), received us very well and gave us permission to take anything we pleased; but the natives had destroyed almost everything they had not carried off. Every part of her was ransacked and torn to pieces; the hull cut and hacked for the purpose of getting the iron work, and with pain we saw our unfortunate ship in a most wretched and miserable condition and with no hope of leaving the country till some vessel arrived.
[Illustration: FIJIAN HOUSE
From a photograph made in 1898.]
We succeeded in getting 14 pounds of salt meat, a few casks of bread and some other little articles and returned to the town. The King prepared his largest church[45] for us to live in and a small house for our provisions; gave us some cooking utensils and we made arrangements for our comfort and prepared to wait patiently until some relief came to us.
Having understood that there was another vessel among the group previous to our misfortune, it was determined by the captain, with the consent of the King, to proceed in the boat, with a crew, up to the Island of Bow, about 90 miles distant, to learn the fate of the vessel and if he found her safe to request the captain to come to our relief. Accordingly, on the 28th March, having fitted sails for the boat, layed in stores and ammunition, the captain, left us and proceeded on his voyage.
The King supplied us with yams and gave us a number of presents of clothes, and we continued to live on the most friendly terms with the natives. We were tolerably acquainted with their language and from a long acquaintance with them we were soon able to conform in some degree to the customs and manners. We found our King was the sovereign over a large part of the island of Tackanova (the second largest of the Group) and a number of smaller islands over which he reigned with an absolute sway. But he was subject to the King of Bow who was the great sovereign of the whole group.